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Dalea candida variety
oligophylla. Synonym: Dalea occidentalis. (Western Prairie Clover, Silvery Dalea)
Fabaceae (Pea Family) Semi-desert, foothills. Openings. Summer. At first glance this blur of a myriad of green stems, white flowers, and brown seeds certainly does not appear to be a member of the Pea Family (Fabaceae). Even a closer look at the flowers still leaves one confused about the family. This is the only member of our native Peas in which, quoting Intermountain Flora, "the keel and wing petals are inserted in sockets on the staminal column, not directly on the hypanthium rim". It is difficult to see this without a hand lens, since, as you can see in the flower photos below, petals and stamens twist and overlap. In the photograph immediately above, new spring growth is topped by last year's dried stems. These stems are often thicker and even more curved and make us wonder what they are when we walk these areas in the winter. The new spring growth assures us that we are looking at the dried stems of Dalea candida. The genus was named in 1758 by an unknown citizen of Lucca and is thus attributed to "Lucanus". The species was named by Andre Michaux in 1802 from specimens he collected in Tennessee and Illinois. Samuel Dale, 1659-1739, was a British botanist. "Candida" is Latin for "white" or "brilliant" and "oligophylla" is Greek for "few-leaved". (More biographical information about Dale.) |
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Dalea candida variety oligophylla. Synonym: Dalea occidentalis. (Western Prairie Clover, Silvery Dalea) Fabaceae (Pea Family) Semi-desert, foothills. Openings. Summer. The photograph at left shows the lovely but twisted and tangled form of the flowers. The photograph immediately below magnifies the flower in the lower right of the photograph at left. In the photograph below, the hypanthium (the
cup formed by the fused bases of the stamens, petals, and sepals) is
red. At the top center is a large white petal, the banner.
Overlapping the lower right of the banner is a brilliant white petal,
the keel.
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Dalea candida variety oligophylla. Synonym: Dalea occidentalis. (Western Prairie Clover, Silvery Dalea) Fabaceae (Pea Family) Semi-desert, foothills. Openings. Summer. |
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Dalea candida variety oligophylla. Synonym: Dalea occidentalis. (Western Prairie Clover, Silvery Dalea) Fabaceae (Pea Family) Semi-desert, foothills. Openings. Summer. Gone to seed. |
Range map © John Kartesz,
County Color Key
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Range map for Dalea candida
Range map for Dalea candida variety oligophylla |
Follow the narrow stem of the keel down toward the center of the
photograph and you will see it attached.
Follow left and
downward around the point of attachment and you will see that the
spatula-shaped petal (one of the "wings") at the seven o'clock
position in the photograph is attached to the same structure.
Immediately to the right you will see two stamens attached (with pollen sacs at the top of one) and then the
next spatula-shaped petal (the other wing).
Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state
Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Eradicated
Questionable presence
