Marina parryi – Parry's False Prairie-clover

Marina parryi - Parry's False Prairie-clover, Parry Dalea

Marina parryi - Parry's False Prairie-clover, Parry Dalea

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Marina parryi

Synonym: Dalea parryi

Common Names: Parry's False Prairie-clover, Parry Dalea

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Subshrub, Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert

Flower Color: Dark blue-purple and white (bicolored)

Flowering Season: Spring

Height: To 30 inches (76 cm) tall

Description: The flowers are in spike-like terminal racemes. The individual flowers are pea-like, 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) long, and dark violet above and white below. The leaves are grayish green and pinnately compound with an odd number of small, oval, rounded, or egg-shaped leaflets.

The similar San Pedro False Prairie-clover (Marina calycosa) is hairier and has more elongated (less rounded) leaflets.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae – Pea family
Genus: Marina Liebm. – false prairie-clover
Species: Marina parryi (Torr. & A. Gray) Barneby – Parry's false prairie-clover

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map