Silktop dalea

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Silktop dalea

Silktop dalea

Silktop dalea fruiting

Silktop dalea inflorescence

Silktop dalea

Silktop dalea leaves

Silktop dalea leaf

Silktop dalea

Morphology

Stem

Erect, 1 to several, simple or occasionally branched above, silky-hairy.

Leaves

Alternate, stalked, few, odd-pinnately compound, .5 to 1.5 inch long, .5 to 1 inch wide, reduced above; leaflets 3-9, egg-shaped, to 3/4 inch long, grayish green; tips mostly blunt or terminating in minute, abrupt points.

Inflorescence

Spikes, solitary, oblong or cone-like, .5 to 2.5 inches long, densely flowered, silky-hairy, terminal.

Flower

Encircling spikes and blooming from base upward; calyces 5-lobed, silky-hairy; margins feathery; corollas papilionaceous, bright yellow; stamens 10, united.

Fruit

Pods, less than 1/6 inch long, silky-hairy, 1-seeded; seeds tiny, smooth, yellow.

Ecology

Habitat

Rocky prairie slopes, open wooded or brushy hillsides, waste areas, stream valleys, and ravines.

Distribution

West 4/5 of Kansas.

Practical Information

Forage Value

Livestock find it palatable, so it decreases with grazing.

Uses

Native Americans used silktop dalea to treat diarrhea and colic.

Additional Notes