Flora of North America species comparison

1–4 from crown, trailing, to 150 cm, or erect to lax, apex sometimes twining, to 60 cm;

internodes ± straight to weakly flexuous;

branches few, primarily basal.

stipules lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, 4–8 × 2–5 mm, apex acute;

petiole subterete, often weakly to strongly canaliculate adaxially, 2–10 cm;

stipels linear to subulate, 3–8 mm;

petiolules 2–4 mm;

rachis 1–2(–2.5) cm;

leaflets 3, blades ovate, oblong-ovate, elliptic-oblong, lanceolate, lanceolate-ovate, oblong, or elliptic, 20–90(–115) × 10–40(–65) mm, thick membranous to thick papery, base broadly cuneate to subcordate, primary lateral veins 7–12 pairs, apex usually acute to obtuse, rarely short-acuminate or mucronate, surfaces glaucescent, glabrate or sparsely pubescent abaxially on major veins or moderately to densely piloso-sericeous, glabrate or uncinate-pubescent adaxially.

2(–4)-flowered, 1–5 cm, flowers cleistogamous and/or chasmogamous;

bracts lanceolate, 3–4 × 1 mm.

1–4.5 cm (chasmogamous flowers) or 0.5–3 cm (cleistogamous flowers).

3–7 mm;

bracteoles of chasmogamous flowers lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, 4–9 × 2–3 mm, cleistogamous flowers 3–5 mm, apex acute, uncinate-pubescent.

brown, convex, 25–55(–70) × 6–9 mm;

stipe 12–17 mm (5–10 mm in cleistogamous).

1–10, black, cuboidal to globular, 3–5 × 4–6 mm, viscid.

proximal portion horizontal, cylindric, 4–15 × 3–12 cm;

distal portion 1+ m × 1.5–6 mm.

flowers: calyx tube greenish, 10–14 × 3–5 mm at base becoming 5–8 mm wide;

lobes ovate, 5–9 × 2.5–3.5 mm (at base, abaxial lobe 7–9 mm), apex short-acuminate;

corolla blue to pale purplish;

banner 40–60 mm, claw 5–8 mm;

wing blades 21–24 × 5–10 mm, claw 7–12 mm;

keel 8–13 × 3–5 mm, claw 14–21 mm;

staminal tube 21–30 mm;

filaments distinct, 2–4 mm;

anthers lanceolate, 1–2 mm;

ovary 7–9 mm, densely uncinate-pubescent;

style 16–20 mm.

flowers: calyx tube 4–5 × 1–2 mm becoming 2 mm wide;

lobes 2–3 mm;

staminal tube 0.1 mm;

ovary 5–6 mm;

style 4–6 mm, bent backwards and in contact with anthers.