Flora of North America species comparison

prostrate, densely branched, 20–80 cm, ascending-pilose or strigose.

erect to diffusely spreading or decumbent to prostrate, pubescent, glabrous, or glabrescent.

trifoliolate;

stipules persistent, narrowly ovate, 3–5 mm;

petiole 3–7.5 mm;

leaflet blades broadly obovate or cuneate-obovate, often folding downwards, apex emarginate, surfaces usually sparsely uncinate-puberulent or subappressed-pilose along midrib abaxially, rarely entire surface, glabrous adaxially;

terminal blade 5–10 × 3–11 mm, length 0.8–1.2 times width.

alternate (rarely mostly clustered near base of stem), trifoliolate or unifoliolate;

stipules present, persistent or caducous, striate, ciliate, sometimes amplexicaul or subamplexicaul;

petiolate;

stipels usually present;

leaflets 1 or 3, blade margins usually entire, main lateral veins arcuate along margin, rarely reaching margin, surfaces usually pubescent, sometimes glabrous, abaxially paler, sometimes glaucous;

terminal leaflet petiolulate, larger than laterals, lateral leaflets 1-stipellate, blades usually oblique.

terminal fascicles opposite distal leaf, appearing axillary, unbranched;

rachis pubescent;

primary bracts narrowly ovate, 4 mm.

10–50+-flowered, axillary or terminal, usually pseudoracemes, usually 2–5 flowers per node, unbranched when axillary, branched and paniclelike (compound pseudoracemes) when terminal;

bracts present, primary bracts 1, subtending flower pairs, sometimes collectively conspicuous before flowering, secondary bracts usually 2, subtending each flower, sometimes absent;

bracteoles absent.

8–12 mm.

usually uncinate-puberulent, sometimes glutinous-pubescent.

calyx 2.5–3 mm, appressed-pubescent, tube 1.2 mm;

abaxial lobes 1.5–1.7 mm, lateral lobes 1.5–1.7 mm, adaxial lobes deeply 2-toothed;

corolla pale pink to purplish, 4–5 mm, keel distinctly longer than wings.

papilionaceous;

calyx campanulate, lobes 5, usually appearing 4-lobed, adaxial pair connate except apically, with 2 minute teeth, lateral lobes equal to or slightly longer than tube, abaxial lobe longer than tube and other lobes, or sometimes as long as lateral lobes;

corolla usually pink to purple, blue-purple, or purple, sometimes lavender to greenish blue, ochroleucous, or white, banner clawed or tapering proximally, blade usually broadly obovate, often with a pair of dark spots (false nectar guides) at base;

wings and keel petals clawed;

stamens 10, usually monadelphous, sometimes diadelphous;

anthers dorsifixed.

loments, usually stipitate, rarely sessile, compressed, straight or ± incurved, sometimes twisted or contorted, oblong, narrowly oblong, or linear, splitting between indehiscent segments, usually conspicuously uncinate-pubescent throughout, rarely sutures glabrous;

segments (articles) (1 or)2–10, lateral faces reticulate (rugose in D. scorpiurus);

sutures constricted at joints, abaxial incised deeper than adaxial or both equally incised, connections between segments (isthmi) adaxial or central.

1 per segment, usually brown, yellowish brown, or tan, asymmetric, usually oblong, 4-sided, or reniform, rim-arillate.

sutures weakly crenate abaxially, with broad connection between segments, barely sinuate adaxially;

connections 2/3–4/5 as broad as segments;

segments 3–5, nearly square, 2.5–3.5 × 2.5–3 mm, symmetrically convex abaxially, slightly concave adaxially, inconspicuously uncinate-pubescent or glabrescent;

stipe 0 mm.

= [10] 11.

= 22.