153.  Dalea boraginea Barneby

(Plate CXXXVII)

Like D. aurea in habit, 3.5-5 dm tall, the simple and monocephalous or distally few-branched stems densely pilose like the foliage with stiff, erect or subretrorse hairs up to 0.9-1.1 mm long, the foliage bicolored, the leaflets (dry) verdigris-green above, paler, more densely pilose and minutely punctate beneath; stipules subulate ± 2-2.5 mm long, becoming papery, fragile, recurved; leaves petioled, the main cauline ones 2-3.5 cm long, 3-foliolate, the broadly margined, ventrally flattened petiole and rachis together up to 9-14 mm long, the pair of leaflets obovate, the terminal one larger, broadly elliptic, 1-2.4 cm long, stalked above the pair, all prominently carinate dorsally by the pallid midrib, gland-mucronulate; spike subsessile, very dense, in fruit ±1.8 cm diam, the axis up to 4-6 cm long; bracts marcescent, narrowly lance-caudate, up to 9 mm long; calyx 6.7-7.6 mm long, stiffly setulose-barbate with spreading hairs up to 1.5-2 mm long, the tube 2.5-2.8 mm long, somewhat recessed behind the banner, the ribs prominent, the intercostal membranes charged with one (rarely interrupted) linear gland-body, the triangular-aristate, finally spreading teeth up to 4-4.9 mm long; petals yellow, incompletely known from marcescent fragments; banner 3.5-5 mm long, the slender claw 2.2-3.3 mm, the ovate-deltate blade ± 1.6-1.8 mm long, 1.8-2.2 mm wide, open ventrally at base, sometimes setulose dorsally and cili- ate, the claw sometimes bristly at base; wings 3 mm long, the claw 0.7 mm, the obliquely ovate blade 2.6 mm long, 1.7 mm wide; keel not seen; androecium (seen only faded, without anthers) 7 mm long, the filaments free for ±1.4 mm, the petal-sockets situated 4 mm above hypanthium; pod ± 3.5 mm long, quadrately obovate in profile, nearly 3 mm wide, the valves hyaline and glabrous in lower 2/3, firmer and densely pilose along the double prow; seed ± 2.5 mm long. — Collections: 2 (o).

Habitat not recorded, but to be expected on rocky limestone slopes at ± 1000 m, known only from Sierra de Santa Rosa, mpo Melchor Muzquiz, Coahuila. — Flowering in June. — Material: Coahuila. M. Muzquiz: valley of Rancho Agua Dulce, Wynd & Mueller 420 (US).