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Hagar, Donna

Dalea reverchonii

Dalea reverchonii (S. Watson) Shinners

Comanche Peak Prairie Clover

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Synonym(s): Petalostemon reverchonii

USDA Symbol: DARE2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Comanche Peak prairie-clover is a low, spreading perennial, which appears as a dense, mat-forming rosette up to 16 inches in diameter. Numerous thick, 3 inch long spikes of rose-pink to magenta-purple flowers bloom in May, before other Dalea species, and continue through June. The smooth, alternate, pinnate leaves are about an inch long.

This elusive prairie-clover has been found only in a narrow band through three counties in north-central Texas. Julien Reverchon first collected this member of the pea family in 1882 from "the rocky top of Comanche Peak". Repeated surveys failed to re-locate that particular population (TPWD, 2003), until Spring of 2003 when a few plants were again found on Comanche Peak (Carr, personal commmunication).

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb , Subshrub
Fruit Type: Legume
Size Notes: Up to about 3 inches tall by 16 inches across.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: May

Distribution

USA: TX
Native Distribution: Endemic to north-central Texas: Bosque, Erath, Hood, Johnson, Parker, Sommervell, Tarrant & Wise Counties.
Native Habitat: Shallow calcareous clay to sandy clay soils over limestone in grasslands or openings in post oak woodlands, often among sparse vegetation in barren exposed sites. Most known sites are underlain by Goodland Limestone, a Cretaceous formation. Associates include Aristida spp., Bouteloua rigidiseta, Arenaria stricta, Dalea aurea, D. enneandra, D. tenuis, Evolvulus nuttallianus, Hedeoma drummondii, Hedyotis nigricans, Heliotropium tenellum, Indigofera miniata var. leptosepala, Paronychia virginica, Pediomelum reverchonii, Salvia texana and Thelesperma filifolium (TPWD, 2003).

Bibliography

Bibref 1233 - Rare Plants of Texas: A Field Guide (2007) Poole, J. M.; Carr, W. R.; Price, D. M.; Singhurst...
Bibref 281 - Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...

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Web Reference

Webref 8 - National Collection of Endangered Plants (2012) The Center for Plant Conservation

Research Literature

Reslit 2841 - Ecology and Distribution of the North Central Texas Endemic Dalea reverchonii (Fabaceae) (2013) K. N. Taylor, R. J. O'Kennon

This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
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Additional resources

USDA: Find Dalea reverchonii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Dalea reverchonii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Dalea reverchonii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2014-10-26
Research By: DEW

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