Herbaceous, perennial, warm-season native North America legumes can contribute to agricultural objectives. Dalea aurea (golden prairie clover), D. multiflora (roundhead prairie clover), D. purpurea (purple prairie clover) and D. candida (white prairie clover) are native to drier prairies and hillsides of Northern Great Plains. Herbage dry matter yield (DMY), root DMY, herbage N DMY, root N DMY and herbage N content were evaluated in Stephenville, TX as a response to soil type, P amendment and Rhizobium inoculation. Dalea aurea yielded 69% more than D. candida, 238% more than D. multiflora and 193% more than D. purpureum, respectively (p<=0.05) in herbage DMY. Dalea candida produced 80% greater (p<=0.05) root DMY, than D. purpurea which yielded the least. Dalea aurea yielded 108% more than D. candida, 372% more than D. multiflora and 420% more than D. purpurea (p<=0.05) herbage N DMY, respectively. Dalea candida yielded 150% more than D. multiflora, 114% more than D. purpurea and 221% more than D. aurea (p<=0.05) root N DMY. Dalea aurea had 25% greater (p<=0.05) herbage N content than D. multiflora, which yielded the least. Overall, soil types affected herbage and root DMY as well as herbage and root N DMY. Sandy loam was the best for all Dalea species. Inoculation with commercial cowpea rhizobia and amending those soils with P are not recommended without further long-term investigation.
