Common names:
Soft prairie clover, silky dalea
Family:
Scientific name:
Dalea mollissima
Main flower color:
Range:
The Mojave and Sonoran deserts - California, Nevada, Arizona
Height:
Up to 13 inches
Habitat:
Flats and washes in deserts; up to 3,000 feet
Leaves:
Pinnately divided into 4 to 7 pairs of folded, oblong leaflets, silky hairy, dotted with oil glands
Season:
March to May
The common name of dalea mollissima, soft prairie clover, refers to the long, soft, silky hairs on the calyx lobes; the most visible part of the inflorescence after the short-lived flowers have withered. The lobes are linear, and narrow; the calyx is around a quarter of an inch long, divided more than half way to the base. The calyx is longer than the corolla, unlike the similar dalea mollis for which the corolla extends beyond the calyx lobes. Flowers are white, or tinged pale purple.
Plants are low-growing, often forming mats. Leaves are pale green, dotted with conspicuous brown oil glands, and also covered with silky hairs. Leaflets are around a quarter of an inch in length. Leaflet margins are somewhat wavy, or lobed, another difference with dalea mollis, as this has straight leaflet margins.
Plants are low-growing, often forming mats. Leaves are pale green, dotted with conspicuous brown oil glands, and also covered with silky hairs. Leaflets are around a quarter of an inch in length. Leaflet margins are somewhat wavy, or lobed, another difference with dalea mollis, as this has straight leaflet margins.
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