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Wright's dalea, Wright's prairie-clover

bigtop dalea, flimleaf prairieclover, slimleaf prairie clover

Stems

0.4–2.6(–3.6) dm, eglandular.

(1.5–)2–5(–5.5) dm, usually pilosulous at base, glabrescent distally, eglandular.

Inflorescences

spikes, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, 17–23 mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, (1.5–)2–6 cm;

bracts deciduous near anthesis, 6–12 mm.

spikes, moderately densely flowered, not involucrate, 8–10 mm diam.;

axis becoming partially visible, (0.5–)1–7(–9) cm;

bracts deciduous by anthesis, 2.5–4.5(–5.5) mm.

Peduncles

absent or very short.

(0.9–)1.5–8(–12.5) cm.

Stamens

10, 10–13 mm, filaments distinct to 1.5 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7 mm.

5, 6–8.3 mm, filaments distinct to 3.5–5 mm, anthers 0.9–1.5 mm.

Corollas

clear yellow, pinkish or orangish brown in age; papilionaceous;

banner 7.8–9.5 mm, blade cordate, 2–3 × 2.4–3.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached distal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.6–3.4 × 1.8–2.3 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (2.6–)3–4(–4.2) × 1.6–2.2 mm.

rose-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.5–6.5 mm, blade cordate, 2.3–3.1 × 2.6–3.1 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.7–3.4 × 1.2–1.5 mm.

Calyces

somewhat asymmetric, slightly recessed opposite banner, (8.5–)9–12.3 mm, densely pilose;

tube (2.5–)2.7–3.5 mm, with 4 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose.

subsymmetric, (3.1–)3.4–4.5 mm, densely pilose;

tube (1.6–)1.9–2.4 mm, prominently to indistinctly 10-ribbed, ± circular in cross section, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate or adaxial pair ovate-lanceolate to ovate.

Legumes

2.8–3.5 mm, distally with 2 rows of ascending hairs on either side of a glabrescent row, eglandular.

2.8–3.5 mm, pilosulous and often gland-dotted distally.

Seeds

2–2.8 mm.

2 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect to decumbent or ascending, silky-pilose.

herbs, diffusely spreading to decumbent, mostly pilosulous ± throughout.

Principal

leaves 1–3.5 cm;

leaflets 5, blades rhombic-ovate to lanceolate, 4–15(–20) mm, surfaces apparently eglandular.

leaves 2–4 cm;

leaflets 3 or 5, blades linear-oblanceolate, 10–22 mm.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Dalea wrightii

Dalea tenuifolia

Phenology Flowering early spring–fall. Flowering late spring–summer (fall).
Habitat Rocky grasslands, desert slopes, on limestone. Rocky places, limestone soils.
Elevation 500–1800 m. (1600–5900 ft.) 800–1400 m. (2600–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; KS; NM; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Dalea wrightii occurs in southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and trans-Pecos Texas.

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

Dalea tenuifolia is known from the southern high plains. In Texas, the species is found in the northern panhandle and extreme north-central part of the state.

(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. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa
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. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Synonyms D. wrightii var. warnockii Petalostemon tenuifolius
Name authority A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 49. (1852) (A. Gray) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 84. (1949)
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