Summary ⁶

Dalea lanata (woolly prairie clover) is a densely woolly plant with showy purple blooms from June to September. The plant rarely tops six inches high and grows well in loose, gravelly soil. It is common and native to the Southwestern U.S.

Botanical Information ⁷

The scientific name for woolly prairie clover is Dalea lanata. It is in the Fabaceae/Leguminosae (pea) family. The woolly prairie clover is a native plant to much of the Southwestern U.S. The range of this plant includes Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. Its life cycle is perennial.

Woolly prairie clover produces numerous lateral roots extending outward 2 to 3 feet in the first foot of soil and a taproot system penetrating 4 to 5 feet deep. Branched stems 8 to 20 inches tall arise from a dense root crown. Leaves are 0.75 to 1.5 inches long and 0.5 to 1 inch wide covered with silky hairs. Leaflets are 0.25 to 0.5 inch long less than 0.1 inch wide.

Información Botánica ⁶

El nombre cientifico es Dalea lanata. El woolly prairie clover es una planta nativa de Nuevo México. El rango de esta planta incluye los estados de Arkansas, Nuevo México, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas y Utah. Su ciclo de vida es perenne.

Esta planta produce numerosas raíces laterales que se extienden hacia afuera de 2 a 3 pies en el primer pie de tierra y un sistema de raíz principal que penetra de 4 a 5 pies de profundidad. Tallos ramificados de 8 a 20 pulgadas de alto surgen de una corona de raíz densa. las hojas tienen 0.75 a 1.5 pulgadas de largo y 0.5 a 1 pulgada de ancho cubiertas de pelos sedosos. Los folletos tienen 0.25 a 0.5 pulgadas de largo y menos de 0.1 pulgadas de ancho.

Ecological Information ⁸

Woolly prairie clover is a preferred forage for cattle and sheep during spring and summer. Deer, elk, bison, and antelope graze the entire plant during spring and summer.

Informacion Ecológica ⁶

Woolly prairie clover es un forraje preferido para el ganado vacuno y ovino durante la primavera y el verano.
Los ciervos, alces, bisontes y antílopes pastan toda la planta durante la primavera y el verano.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁸

This plant is not consumed by humans for medicine or food. It is used for animal consumption only.

Información Etnobotánica ⁸

No se consuma esta planta para medicina o alimentación humana. Pero se usa para consumo animal.

References ⁹

Encyclopedia of Life. (n.d.). Wooly Prairie Clover. Retrieved August 11, 2021, from http://eol.org/pages/585511/details.

Miller, G. O. (n.d). Woolly Prairie-Clover. Wildflowers of New Mexico. Retrieved August 11, 2021, from https://www.wildflowersnm.com/Wildflowers_of_New_Mexico/Dalea_lanata.html

United States Department of Agriculture. (2014). Dalea lanata Spreng. In
PLANTS Database. Retrieved August 11, 2021, from https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=DALA3

About the Author ¹⁰

Student author(s)*: Raul (high school) from Atrisco Heritage Academy

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Mark Fishbein, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Mark Fishbein
2. (c) Nathan Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Nathan Taylor
3. (c) Chuck Sexton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Chuck Sexton
4. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/35169461695/
5. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/6169878727/
6. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
7. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Jordy Hicks, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
8. (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
9. Adapted by Kiley Spurlock from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
10. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• World Flora Online

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