Dalea filiformis

Kearney and Peebles, 1969, McDougal 1973, Martin and Hutchins 1980

Duration: Annual Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Glandular-punctate annual herb, generally low-growing, stems slender, glabrous to slightly pubescent, to 45 cm tall. Leaves: Odd-pinnate with a few long leaves, leaflets 3-11, narrowly linear or filiform, usually much longer than the rachis, the rachis obsolete in trifoliate leaves. Flowers: Small, purple, and sessile with clawed petals, paired petals inserted on the stamen tube, leaving visible scars and bracts after they fade, stamens 9-10, calyx 5-toothed, entire inflorescence villous, persistent. Fruits: Small, indehiscent pods that are silky villous. Ecology: Found in mountains and grasslands, from 3,500-8,000 ft (1067-2438 m); flowering August-September. Notes: The best key for this species are the small number (3-5) of leaflets. Ethnobotany: There is no specific use of this species, but the genus was used for food. Etymology: Dalea is named after Samuel Dale (1659-1739), an English physician, botanist and botanical collector, and gardener who was the author of several botanical works and a treatise on medicinal plants, while filiformis means thread-like. Synonyms: Dalea hutchinsoniae, Parosela filiformis Editor: LCrumbacher, 2011