Dalea mollissima is a desert wildflower plant in the legume family (Fabaceae), with the common names soft prairie clover, downy dalea, and silk dalea.[2]: 86 [3]
| Dalea mollissima | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Dalea |
| Species: | D. mollissima
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| Binomial name | |
| Dalea mollissima | |
Distribution edit
The plant is native to the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, and desert chaparral in adjacent mountains. It is found in California, northeastern Baja California, western Arizona, and southern Nevada.
It grows on desert flats and in washes, under 900 metres (3,000 ft) in elevation.
Description edit
Dalea mollissima is a small, mat-forming annual or perennial herbaceous plant .
Its leaves are made up of several pairs of oval-shaped fuzz-covered leaflets. The foliage is similar to Dalea mollis, but is covered with thinner, downy hairs.
It bears fluffy inflorescences of pea-like flowers in white or lavender. Its bloom period is March to May.
The fruit is a single-seeded legume pod.
References edit
- ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Pam MacKay, 2nd ed., 2013, ISBN 978-0-7627-8033-4
- ^ DesertUSA: Silky Dalea, soft prairie clover, downy dalea
External links edit
- Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Dalea mollissima
- USDA Plants Profile for Dalea mollissima (soft prairie clover)
- UC Photos gallery — Dalea mollissima
Media related to Dalea mollissima at Wikimedia Commons
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