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Useful Temperate Plants

Dalea candida

Michx. ex Willd.

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Kuhnistera candida (Willd.) Kuntze

Kuhnistera occidentalis A.Heller ex Britton & Kearney

Petalostemon candidus (Willd.) Michx.

Petalostemon gracilis Nutt.

Petalostemon virgatus Nees & Schwein.

Psoralea candida (Willd.) Poir.

Common Name: White Prairie Clover

No Image.

General Information

Dalea candida is a herbaceous perennial plant producing a small clump of stems 50 - 100cm tall from a thick taproot. The stems tend to be unbranched near the base, with a few upright branches near the top[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
,
1359
Title
Daleae Imagines; An Illustrated Revision of ERRAZURIZIA Philippi, PSOROTHAMNUS Rydberg, MARINA Liebmann, and DALEA L
Publication
Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden Vol 27 pp 1 - 892, 1977
Author
Barneby R.C.
Publisher
The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York
Year
1977
ISBN
0-89327-001-6
Description
A very detailed treatment of the genera Errazurizia, Psorothamnus, Marina and Dalea
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It can be used in restoration projects for restoring native prairies.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
274
Title
Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas
Publication
 
Author
Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J
Website
http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm
Publisher
Botanical Research Institute, Texas.
Year
1999
ISBN
1-889878-01-4
Description
An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
,
1359
Title
Daleae Imagines; An Illustrated Revision of ERRAZURIZIA Philippi, PSOROTHAMNUS Rydberg, MARINA Liebmann, and DALEA L
Publication
Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden Vol 27 pp 1 - 892, 1977
Author
Barneby R.C.
Publisher
The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York
Year
1977
ISBN
0-89327-001-6
Description
A very detailed treatment of the genera Errazurizia, Psorothamnus, Marina and Dalea

Range

Central and southern N. America - Alberta to Ontario, south to Arizona, northern Mexico, Texas and Georgia

Habitat

Rich prairies, woodland glades, roadsides and along railroads; at elevations mainly below 450 metres[
1359
Title
Daleae Imagines; An Illustrated Revision of ERRAZURIZIA Philippi, PSOROTHAMNUS Rydberg, MARINA Liebmann, and DALEA L
Publication
Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden Vol 27 pp 1 - 892, 1977
Author
Barneby R.C.
Publisher
The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York
Year
1977
ISBN
0-89327-001-6
Description
A very detailed treatment of the genera Errazurizia, Psorothamnus, Marina and Dalea
]. Dry desert and alluvial soils; at elevations up to 2,000 metres[
43
Title
Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition
Publication
 
Author
Fernald. M. L.
Publisher
American Book Co.; New York
Year
1950
ISBN
0442222505
Description
A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Prairies and open woods on sandy, clayey and rocky soils[
274
Title
Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas
Publication
 
Author
Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J
Website
http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm
Publisher
Botanical Research Institute, Texas.
Year
1999
ISBN
1-889878-01-4
Description
An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height0.70 m
PollinatorsBees, Butterflies, Insects
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Dalea candida is a very cold hardy plant, able to tolerate winter temperatures below -20°c. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is around 250 - 450mm[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
Requires a well-drained soil in full sun[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. A deep-rooted plant, it prefers a sandy loam with added leaf mould and is only occasionally found on clay soils in the wild[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
]. This species is well-suited to informal and naturalistic plantings, especially as part of a collection of native species[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The stems, leaves and flowers are dotted with glands, making the plant look blistered[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Rabbits are very fond of this plant and will often eat it in preference to other species nearby. They will often damage new plantings[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].
This species is closely related to Dalea multiflora and sometimes hybridizes with it where their ranges overlap[
1359
Title
Daleae Imagines; An Illustrated Revision of ERRAZURIZIA Philippi, PSOROTHAMNUS Rydberg, MARINA Liebmann, and DALEA L
Publication
Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden Vol 27 pp 1 - 892, 1977
Author
Barneby R.C.
Publisher
The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York
Year
1977
ISBN
0-89327-001-6
Description
A very detailed treatment of the genera Errazurizia, Psorothamnus, Marina and Dalea
].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

Root - raw or chewed for its pleasant sweet flavour[
105
Title
Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
Publisher
Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
Year
1976
ISBN
-
Description
The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
,
161
Title
Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.
Publication
 
Author
Yanovsky. E.
Publisher
U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
Year
 
ISBN
-
Description
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
,
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
,
183
Title
Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications
Year
1990
ISBN
0-9628087-0-9
Description
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. Eaten as a delicacy by children[
257
Title
Native American Ethnobotany
Publication
 
Author
Moerman. D.
Publisher
Timber Press. Oregon.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-88192-453-9
Description
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].

A tea-like beverage is made from the dried leaves[
105
Title
Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
Publisher
Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
Year
1976
ISBN
-
Description
The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
,
161
Title
Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.
Publication
 
Author
Yanovsky. E.
Publisher
U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
Year
 
ISBN
-
Description
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
,
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
,
183
Title
Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications
Year
1990
ISBN
0-9628087-0-9
Description
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].

Medicinal

The roots have been chewed to bring relief from the pain of toothaches etc[
257
Title
Native American Ethnobotany
Publication
 
Author
Moerman. D.
Publisher
Timber Press. Oregon.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-88192-453-9
Description
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].

A compound of the plant is used to treat abdomen pain caused by colds and loose bowels[
257
Title
Native American Ethnobotany
Publication
 
Author
Moerman. D.
Publisher
Timber Press. Oregon.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-88192-453-9
Description
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is sometimes found as a pioneering species on disturbed shallow soils or gravels, and can be used as a component in the reclamation of drastically disturbed lands, in range renovation and prairie restoration projects. It is also a potentially useful plant for roadside and rest area beautification, park plantings and recreational garden natural area plantings[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].

Other Uses

The tough stems can be bundled together to make a broom for sweeping the floor[
277
Title
Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
].

Propagation

Seed - sow in early spring in a greenhouse. The seed has a hard seedcoat and benefits from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-10-11. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Dalea+candida>

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