Common Name: Woolly Parosella

General Information

Dalea lanata is a prostrate perennial plant producing one to a few stems 25 - 70cm long from a deeply-penetrating, orange-yellow taproot. The stems branch upward from near the base[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Central and southern N. America - Nevada to Nebraska, south to Arizona, Texas and Arkansas

Habitat

Plains and prairies[]. Deep sandy soils, usually on hummocked dunes or drift-sand plains; at elevations from near sea-level to 1,260 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position. Found in the wild only on sandy soils[].
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[].

Edible Uses

Root - raw[, , ]. A sweet flavour, it is regarded as a sugar[]. The skin is scraped off and the root is eaten as a sweet[, ].

Medicinal

A poultice of the plant is applied to centipede bites[].

Other Uses

None known

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[].