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prairie clover
Scientific Name: Dalea
Family: Fabaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth:
Duration:
Other Names:
Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)
The Purple Prairie Clover, scientifically known as Dalea purpurea, is a captivating flowering plant belonging to the legume family (Fabaceae). It is also referred to as violet prairie clover.
Considerations for Pets
- This plant produces protein-rich seed that is a source of food for animals.
Considerations for Children
- The Ponca tribe was known to chew the roots of prairie clover simply for the pleasant taste. Native American women also gathered the stems of prairie clover.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Dalea purpurea Vent. var. purpurea
- Common Name: Purple Prairie Clover
- Family: Fabaceae (Bean family)
- Synonym: Formerly Petalostemum purpureum
Distribution and Habitat
Purple Prairie Clover is native to North America, specifically adapted to the Great Plains and Prairies of the United States. It thrives in open areas with sandy soils, including prairies, glades, and rocky open woods. It is absent from the eastern and western tiers of the United States.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Herbaceous perennial plant
- Typically unbranched and grows 1 to 3 feet tall.
- Older plants may tiller.
- Many slender, upright stems grow from a single base.
- Leaves are ½ - 1 inches long with five gland-dotted, narrow leaflets, giving the plant a ferny appearance.
- Cone-like flower heads, 2-inch thimble-shaped spikes of tiny 5-petaled purple flowers.
- Deep taproot, adapted for drought tolerance.
- Stems are usually hairless and slightly ridged.
Ecological Role
Purple Prairie Clover is a legume that naturally fertilizes the prairie by fixing nitrogen from the air into the soil. It also helps add nitrogen back into the soil in gardens and can be used as a green manure or cover crop.
Interactions with Other Organisms
The plant produces protein-rich seed that is a valuable food source for birds, deer, antelope, livestock, and small animals. It is also valuable to pollinators.