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Dalea purpurea

Common name:	Purple Prairie Clover	Family:	Leguminosae
Author:	Vent.	Botanical references:	200, 274
Synonyms:	Petalostemon violaceum (Michx.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Western N. America.
Habitat:	Dry desert and alluvial soils to 2000 metres[200]. Sandy prairies in Texas[274].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Petalostemon molle[G] Petalostemon purpureum[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Purple Prairie Clover [FEIS], Purple Prairieclover [P], Violet Prairie-clover [B],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	purpurea = purple
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Fabales. Renamed to Fabaceae -- Pea family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.9m. . It is in flower in July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). It can fix Nitrogen. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Root Tea.

The root was used for chewing[183]. A pleasant sweet flavour[257].
The dried leaves are a tea substitute[183, 257].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Cardiac Poultice.

A poultice of the steeped bruised leaves has been applied to fresh wounds[257].
A decoction of the leaves and blossoms has been used in the treatment of heart problems, diarrhoea[257].
An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of measles[257].

Other Uses

Broom.

The tough, elastic stems have been made into brooms[257].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained soil in full sun[200]. A deep-rooted plant, it prefers a sandy loam with added leaf mould[1]. This species is well-suited to informal and naturalistic plantings, especially as part of a collection of native species[200].
Plants are monocarpic, living for a number of years without flowering and then dying after flowering[200].
The stems, leaves and flowers are dotted with glands, making the plant look blistered[200].
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].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and sow in early spring in a greenhouse. 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].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
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.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
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.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Dalea+purpurea
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.