Dalea purpurea
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea (DAY-lee-uh prr-PUR-ee-uh)
Purple Prairie Clover
Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Native to most of the eastern half of Colorado.
In eastern Colorado purple prairie clover occurs at elevations from 3,500 to 7,500 feet
Up to 3 feet tall.
Purple prairie clover is a perennial forb, 8 to 35 inches (20-90 cm) tall, with a woody stem. The numerous leaves are 0.4-1.6 inches (1-4 cm) long, with 3 to 7 leaflets. The inflorescence is a 0.4- to 2.6-inch (1-7 cm) spike located at the ends of the branches. Branches are numerous, usually 3 per stem, but sometimes as many as 10 to 12. The mature purple prairie clover has a coarse, nonfibrous root system with a strong woody taproot that is 5.5 to 6.5 feet (1.7-2.0 m) deep. The taproot gives rise to several minutely branched lateral roots. The fruit is a 1- to-2-seeded pod enclosed in bracts
The flowers grow on cone-shaped spike at the top of a stem. The spikes are dense and 2 or 3 inches long.
The flowers start blooming at the bottom of the spike and work their way up.
The flowers are so tiny it's hard to count, but they appear to have 5 tiny, usually purple petals. In fact, it's just one real petal and five stamens that are fused together and look like a petal.
The corollas are irregularly-shaped; actually, Papilionaceous, which means butterfly shaped.
Each flower has 5 stamens.
The calyx holding the flower is woolly, dull gray to rusty red, and easily visible in the upper spike where flowers have not yet bloomed
The flower growth is indeterminate. They grow up the spike without necessarily growing a final, terminal flower. By the time upper flowers are blooming, the lower ones may have already produced fruit.
Each purple flower is about ¼" across, with 5 small petals and 5 golden anthers that protrude outward. These flowers bloom together as a flowery wreath at the bottom
Leaves are alternate along the stem. They become sparse near the top.
They're compound, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long. They pinnate, divided into 3 to 7 leaflets. Each leaflet is linear and narrow. They can be an inch long and about 1/8th of an inch wide.
The leaves may be densely packed on the lower part of the stem and more sparse on the upper part. Attachment is alternate. Stems are multiple from the base, unbranched, hairless and slightly ridged.
Alternate, odd-pinnately compound, .5 to 1.5 inch long, 1/2 to 1 inch wide, short-stalked; leaflets 3-7 (usually 5), linear, 1/3 to 1 inch long, less than 1/10 inch wide; margins usually rolling inward; tips pointed.
The stem or stems grow from a stout and deep taproot (sometimes 6-feet long).
D. purpurea one slender, ascending stem that often branches -- usually 1 to 3 times, but sometimes more.
Erect or ascending, slender, simple or branching above, ribbed, glabrous or sometimes slightly pubescent.
