Wildflowers: White buttons

[stone]

I believe this plant is a biennial. When first seen, I thought I was seeing baby moss verbena, but as the plant had an upright habit, I discarded that tenative id.

Growing in the middle GA sandhills, I posted it at the walter reeves site for id, but no one had any idea.

First pic is after the blooms have finished, second is a clump in full glory, third is a close-up with macro, shot back in October.

This plant has a short bloom period, like a week or two.

[wrygrass2]

Perhaps Dalea pinnata or Summer's farewell.

[stone]

Dalea pinnata fits very nicely.
Thanks! I wonder if you would tell me the search terms you used?
I searched google for days.

[wrygrass2]

"Georgia wildflower filiform leaf" on a Google images search which brought up a picture that looked like yours and then looked for a similar picture with a name attached. Sometimes I get lucky, but I searched for a local wildflower literally for years before I found it.

This forum has enhanced my Google search skills a great deal, as you try to narrow things down to the information you have. Unlike others on this forum who must have an encyclopedic knowledge of plants and be familiar first hand with thousands of species I have to plod along and use Google a great deal. Also after searching for a while, you get a list of favorite plant sites like I checked this plant out on the USDA Plants page to see of the name was accurate and if it was found in your area.

[stone]

Well there it is... I failed to search the leaf shape... I didn't even have a term to describe the leaves...
You taught me something...
thanks!

[wrygrass2]

Off topic. Many years ago when I first started trying to Id WA wildflowers I was working from a Scientific Flora without any pictures, St John's Flora of SouthEastern WA and Adjacent ID. I had to use the glossary a lot. Filiform - filament like. The web is so much better/easier, but I still just spent an hour or so looking for a name I didn't find. Harry