Fabaceae
Legume Family
Dalea enneandra Nutt.
- Stem: perennial; 2’ to 3’ tall; branching widely above the middle; smooth.
- Leaves: alternate; pinnately compound, 1/2” by 5/16”; usually five or more leaflets, very narrow (3/16” by 1/32”), black dots on the leaflets and midrib; leaves crowded on robust specimens.
- Inflorescence: few-flowered spikes at the ends of the branches, two or three (up to twelve) flowers; spike 1/2” to 2” long; each flower attached just above a leafy bract, 1/8” long with black dots.
- Flowers: corolla white, about 3/8” long, petals spreading; calyx 1/4” long, with pointed tips, very hairy; flowering from mid-July to mid-August.
- Fruits: pod matures within the calyx and does not open; fruiting begins in early August.
- Habitat: common on the west-facing Loess Hills prairies in western Iowa.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
