Dalea purpurea
 
Purple Prairie-Clover

Whole Plant in Ground

Oro Lake Regional Park
17-July-2010

Note the stems of this plant range from prostrate to erect.

Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta refer to this species as Petalostemon purpureum and this is the name used below in reference to the key questions taken from these floras.

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Purpureum: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 
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plants glabrous or sparsely pubescent; NOT [plants densely hairy throughout]

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leaflets 3-5; NOT [leaflets 5-9], NOT [leaflets 7-17]

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leaflets narrowly linear; NOT [leaflets linear-oblong]

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leaflets 1-1.5 mm wide; NOT [leaflets 2-3 mm wide]

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calyx villose-tomentose; NOT [calyx glabrous except the lobes]

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flowers rose or purple; NOT [flowers white]

 

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Petalostemon: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus.  
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herbs; NOT [shrubs]

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the root tuber-like

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plants not climbing

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leaves pinnately divided; NOT [leaves palmately divided]

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the terminal leaflet normal; NOT [the terminal leaflet replaced by a tendril]

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leaves glandular-dotted

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flowers in dense, cylindrical spikes; NOT [flowers in racemes]

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flowers small, to 5mm; NOT [flowers 10-15 mm long]

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keel not truncate; NOT [keel mostly truncate]

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stamens 5; NOT [stamens 10]

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pods not segmented or jointed; NOT [pods segmented or jointed, breaking up at maturity]

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pods not prickly; NOT [pods with hooked prickles]

 

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Leguminosae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. 
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herbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]

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plants terrestrial or semiaquatic; NOT [plants aquatic; leaves submerged or floating]

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plants NOT with colored milky juice

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plants with more than one normal leaf

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some or all leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite, whorled, or basal]

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leaves with stipules; NOT [leaves without stipules, or having glands]

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flowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others]

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calyx regular; NOT [calyx irregular, some sepals smaller than others]

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flowers irregular in shape

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corolla pea-like; NOT [corolla with one petal spurred or sac-like]

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stamens usually separate or partly so, not in a column; NOT [stamens numerous, united into a column]

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fruit a legume; NOT [fruit a 3-valved capsule]