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pineforest prairie clover

summer farewell

Stems

(3–)4.5–9(–10) dm, finely to coarsely glandular-tuberculate proximal to inflorescences.

Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, appearing capitate, conspicuously involucrate, with several whorls of clearly differentiated sterile bracts proximal to spike, 6–13 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 0.6–1.2 cm;

bracts deciduous, basal involucral bracts persistent, becoming transitional to foliage leaves, 5–8 mm.

Peduncles

absent.

Stamens

5, 8.8–10.8 mm, filaments distinct to 4.2–5.5 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 mm.

Corollas

white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner (5–)5.4–8.6 mm, blade lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, proximally cuneate (subhastate), 2.7–4.3 × 0.6–1.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3–5 × 0.5–1.4 mm.

Calyces

subsymmetric, slightly recessed opposite banner, 4.5–7.8(–8.2) mm, pilose;

tube (1.5–)1.7–2.3(–2.7) mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes linear, becoming plumose.

Legumes

2.5–3 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

Seeds

1.7 mm.

Dalea

urceolata is remarkable for its reduced corolla with two epistemonous petals and is rare throughout most of its range.

Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

Principal

leaves 1–2.5 cm;

leaflets 3–11(or 13), blades linear or elliptic-oblanceolate, 5–11 mm.

Dalea urceolata

Dalea pinnata

Distribution
from USDA
sw United States; Mexico
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
se United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (1 in the flora).

Variety tripetala (Paul G. Wilson) Barneby occurs in south-central Mexico (Michoacán to Morelos) and has fewer stamens (5–7) than var. urceolata (7–10). Variety lucida (Rose ex Rydberg) Barneby occurs in Durango and lacks the epistemonous petals; the banner is the only petal.

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

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Dalea pinnata, with its headlike spikes and conspicuous involucres, resembles a member of the Asteraceae. This resemblance is heightened after the petals drop because the slender, plumose calyx-lobes begin to resemble a pappus.

The varieties of Dalea pinnata have limited geographical overlap and var. pinnata is the most widespread.

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

Key
1. Leaflets 3.
var. trifoliata
1. Leaflets 5–11(or 13).
→ 2
2. Involucres: 6–9 mm wide; stems finely glandular-tuberculate proximal to spikes.
var. pinnata
2. Involucres 10–13 mm wide; stems coarsely glandular-tuberculate proximal to spikes.
var. adenopoda
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. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, 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. pogonathera, D. polygonoides, D. pringlei, D. pulchra, 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
Subordinate taxa
D. urceolata var. urceolata
D. pinnata var. adenopoda, D. pinnata var. pinnata, D. pinnata var. trifoliata
Synonyms Kuhnia pinnata, Kuhnistera pinnata, Petalostemon pinnatus
Name authority Greene: Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 199. (1906) (J. F. Gmelin) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 278. 1977 · Summer-farewell
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