Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea tentaculoides

Dalea pulchra

gentry's indigobush

Santa Catalina prairie-clover
Habit Shrubs or subshrubs, relatively erect, sparsely pilosulous or glabrous proximal to inflorescences. Shrubs, relatively erect, stiffly-branching, silky- or velvety-pubescent distally.
Stems

3–6(–12) dm, glandular-tuberculate distally.

5–10 dm, verruculose distally.
Inflorescences

spikes, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, 11–15 mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, 1–2(–2.5) cm;

bracts persistent or deciduous, (2.5–)3–5.5 mm.

spikes, densely flowered, obviously involucrate (proximalmost several whorls of bracts subtending rudimentary buds), 11.5–16 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 0.4–0.7 cm;

bracts deciduous, interfloral ones sometimes held in place by crowded flowers, 2–6.5 mm.
Peduncles

(0–)0.2–2.2 cm.

0–1 cm.
Stamens

10, 8–9.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.6–3.5 mm, anthers 0.7–1 mm.

10, 7.5–9 mm, filaments distinct to 1.8–2.8 mm, anthers 0.6–0.7 mm.
Corollas

bicolored, banner whitish, reddish in age, epistemonous petals rose-purple; papilionaceous;

banner 6.2–6.7 mm, blade flabellate, 3–3.5 × 3.9–4.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 4.9–5.8 × 2.2–3 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 5–6.2 × 3.2–4.4 mm.

bicolored, banner cream, reddish in age, epistemonous petals pink-purple; papilionaceous;

banner 6–7.5 mm, blade ovate- or deltate-cordate, 2.8–4.2 × 3.4–4.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 4.1–5 × 2–2.6 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 5.2–6.8 × 3–3.5 mm.
Calyces

asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, 5.2–7.8 mm, sparsely pilosulous;

tube 2.5–3.1 mm, with 0–2 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-acuminate, each with several elongated, pricklelike glands (gland spurs).

asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, (4.5–)4.8–7.2 mm, densely pilose;

tube 2.4–3.4 mm, hyaline intervals usually with row of inconspicuous blister glands between ribs (or eglandular), lobes triangular-aristate, spurred laterally near proximal end, unequal, abaxial longest.
Legumes

3 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.
Seeds

1.5 mm.

1.5–1.8 mm.
Principal

leaves 3–6 cm;

leaflets 19–35, blades oblong-elliptic to obovate, 2.5–8 mm.

leaves 0.5–1.5 cm;

leaflets 5 or 7(or 9), blades obovate to oblanceolate, 1.5–5 mm.
2n

= 14.

Dalea tentaculoides

Dalea pulchra
Phenology Flowering spring (fall). Flowering spring.
Habitat Rocks in canyons, rocky volcanic slopes in desert mountains. Sandy to gravelly or rocky grass­lands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub.
Elevation 900–2200 m. (3000–7200 ft.) 900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Dalea tentaculoides occurs in Santa Cruz and Pima counties. It is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Plants of Dalea pulchra are attractive in flower. The spikes shatter quickly at anthesis; legumes and seeds are seldom seen.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea
Sibling taxa
D. albiflora, D. aurea, D. bartonii, D. bicolor, D. brachystachys, D. cahaba, D. candida, D. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, D. emarginata, D. enneandra, D. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, D. flavescens, D. foliosa, D. formosa, D. frutescens, D. gattingeri, D. grayi, D. greggii, D. hallii, D. jamesii, D. lachnostachys, D. lanata, D. laniceps, D. lasiathera, D. leporina, D. lumholtzii, D. mollis, D. mollissima, D. multiflora, D. nana, D. neomexicana, D. obovata, D. ornata, D. phleoides, D. pinnata, D. pogonathera, D. polygonoides, D. pringlei, D. pulchra, D. purpurea, D. reverchonii, D. sabinalis, D. scandens, D. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
D. albiflora, D. aurea, D. bartonii, D. bicolor, D. brachystachys, D. cahaba, D. candida, D. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, D. emarginata, D. enneandra, D. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, D. flavescens, D. foliosa, D. formosa, D. frutescens, D. gattingeri, D. grayi, D. greggii, D. hallii, D. jamesii, D. lachnostachys, D. lanata, D. laniceps, D. lasiathera, D. leporina, D. lumholtzii, D. mollis, D. mollissima, D. multiflora, D. nana, D. neomexicana, D. obovata, D. ornata, D. phleoides, D. pinnata, D. pogonathera, D. polygonoides, D. pringlei, D. purpurea, D. reverchonii, D. sabinalis, D. scandens, D. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Name authority Gentry: Madroño 10: 238, plates 18, 19. (1950) Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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