Dalea nana

Perennial herbs, prostrate, diffusely spreading, or erect, silky-pilosulous. Stems (0.5–)1–3.5 dm, nearly eglandular. Principal leaves 1–2.5(–3) cm; leaf­lets (3 or)5(or 7), blades obo­vate to olanceolate, 3–15 mm, surfaces inconspicuously glandular-punctate abaxially. Peduncles 0–3.5 cm. Inflorescences spikes, densely to loosely flow­ered, not involucrate, 7–13(–15) mm diam.; axis not to partially visible, 0.5–4(–5) cm; bracts deciduous at anthesis or later, 2.5–5.5 mm. Calyces subsymmetric, 4.5–6.5(–7.5) mm, densely pilose; tube 1.9–2.7 mm, with 3 or 4 small glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose. Corollas clear yellow, purplish or brownish in age; papilionaceous; banner (4–)4.4–5.5 mm, blade suborbiculate-cordate to reniform, 1.5–3.2 × (1.5–)2–3.6 mm; epistemonous petals attached near or distal to middle of stamen tube; wings 2.1–3.7 × 0.9–1.8 mm; keel connate valvately, blades 2.9–4.8 × 1.6–2.8 mm. Stamens 10, (6–)6.4–10 mm, filaments distinct to 1.1–2.3 mm, anthers 0.4–0.7 mm. Legumes 2.5–3 mm, distally with 2 rows of ascending hairs on either side of a glabrescent row, eglandular. Seeds 1.8–2.2 mm.

Distribution

sw United States, n Mexico.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Dalea nana shows extensive variability in a number of features, including habit, height, and bract shape.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Dalea nana var. carnescens, Dalea nana var. nana

Key

1	Bracts 2–4 mm wide; spikes loosely flowered, axis partially visible.	Dalea nana var. nana
1	Bracts 1.2–2 mm wide; spikes densely flowered, axis not visible.	Dalea nana var. carnescens