Psorothamnus schottii |
Psorothamnus spinosus |
|
---|---|---|
indigo-bush, Schott's dalea, Schott's indigo-bush |
smoke tree |
|
Habit | Shrubs. | Trees, small, rounded, appearing shrublike when young. |
Stems | 1–2.5 dm, eglandular and usually glabrous or sparsely strigulose when young, rarely canescent. |
70(–100) dm, gland-dotted distally when young, glands orange, silvery-silky to glabrate. |
Branches | divaricate; sterile shoots on shorter lateral branches sharp-tipped. |
divergent; sterile shoots sharp-tipped or thornlike. |
Leaves | unifoliolate or pinnate, (0.7–)1–3 cm; leaflets 1 (or 3), blades linear, 6–30 mm, terminal leaflet longer than laterals, surfaces usually glabrous with glandular margins abaxially, densely silvery-pubescent adaxially. |
unifoliolate, 0.2–2.2 cm, leaflet 1, blade oblanceolate or cuneate-oblanceolate, surfaces gland-tipped abaxially, strigulose. |
Racemes | loose; rachis without thornlike tip in anthesis, 1–9 cm; bracts triangular-subulate, 0.5–1.3 mm; bracteoles present. |
loose; rachis with thornlike tip in anthesis, 1–4 cm; bracts ovate, 0.5–8 mm; bracteoles present. |
Flowers | calyx (4–)4.6–5.7(–6.5) mm, glabrous or strigulose externally, tube (2.8–)3.3–4.3(–4.6) mm, ribs prominent, narrow abaxial intervals each with 1–5 glands in 1 row, broader adaxial intervals each with 1–17 glands in 2 rows, lobes ovate-deltate to triangular, abaxial lobe slightly shorter and narrower; corolla deep blue, banner with yellow eye; banner flabellate, (6.4–)7.1–10.5 mm, tapered to cuneate claw, apex retuse; wings broadly oblong, (6–)7–8.6 × 3–4.2 mm; keel broadly oblong, (6.1–)6.5–8(–8.8) × 3.7–4.7 mm; stamens 7–11 mm; filaments distinct to 3.5–6.5 mm; anthers 0.9–1.3 mm, connective not gland-tipped. |
calyx 4.5–5.2 mm, silky-strigulose, tube 3–3.8 mm, ribs not prominent, intervals each with (0 or)1(or 2) large glands, lobes ovate, abaxial lobe shorter; corolla indigo-blue; banner obcordate, 6.4–7.5 mm, base auriculate, claw linear to cuneate; wings broadly oblanceolate, 5.5–6.8 × (2.4–)3–4.5 mm; keel obovate, 6.6–8.2 × 4.2–5.4 mm; stamens 9.5–11.5 mm; filaments distinct to 4.1–4.9 mm; anthers 0.7–1.1 mm, connective gland-tipped. |
Legumes | obovoid, 7–10 mm, with large, separate glands, puberulent distally. |
obovoid, 3–4 mm, with several glands proximally, pilosulous distally. |
Seeds | 6–8 mm. |
rarely 2, 3 mm. |
2n | = 20. |
|
Psorothamnus schottii |
Psorothamnus spinosus |
|
Phenology | Flowering (fall–)late winter–early spring(–late spring). | Flowering late spring–mid summer (fall). |
Habitat | Rocky and sandy desert flats, slopes, washes. | Rocky or sandy deserts, wetter areas. |
Elevation | 5–800 m. (0–2600 ft.) | -70–400 m. (-200–1300 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California)
|
AZ; CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
|
Discussion | In California, Psorothamnus schottii is known from the Sonoran Desert regions in the very southeastern parts of the state. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Leaves of Psorothamnus spinosus are not retained for long; most of the time, the tree crown consists of a rounded mass of silvery branches. In California, P. spinosus is known from the desert areas in the southeastern 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 > Psorothamnus | Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Psorothamnus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Dalea schottii | Dalea spinosa |
Name authority | (Torrey) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 31. (1977) | (A. Gray) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 25. (1977) |
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