Flora of North America species comparison

erect or ascending, very short, tufted or spreading, branched.

erect or ascending, green or purplish, clustered, branched or unbranched.

cauline, crowded near base;

stipules well developed;

petiole 2–9 cm;

leaflets 7–11, blades 10–30 × 4–10 mm, adaxial surface glabrous.

basal and/or cauline;

stipules 2–12 mm;

petiole 1–15 cm;

leaflets (5 or)6–10, blades 10–60 × 4–10 mm, abaxial surface hairy, adaxial surface glabrous or hairy (but not strigose).

several–many-flowered, 3–14 cm;

flowers spirally arranged.

loose, 5–16(–25) cm;

flowers whorled or not.

1–10 cm;

bracts persistent, straight, 2–4 mm.

(1–)4–25(–30) cm;

bracts usually deciduous, 3–4 mm.

1–4 mm.

(1–)2–5(–7) mm.

4.5–7 mm;

calyx 3–6 mm, lobes ± equal, abaxial lobe entire, adaxial lobe cleft;

corolla dark blue-purple or whitish with blue tip, banner spot white becoming yellow, keel blunt, glabrous.

5–15 mm;

calyx 4–8 mm, bulge or spur 0–3 mm (may be variable on plant), abaxial lobe entire or 3-toothed, adaxial lobe entire or 2-toothed;

corolla usually blue, sometimes purple, violet, pink, lilac, or white, banner patch yellowish to whitish, blue, brown, or absent, banner not much reflexed-recurved beyond midpoint, this less than 3 mm proximal to apex, banner glabrous or pubescent abaxially, wings glabrous, lower keel margins glabrous, upper margins ciliate.

undulate, 1.5–2 cm, not constricted between seeds, ciliate with long, dense hairs, sides with short, inflated hairs becoming scaly on drying.

(1–)2–3 cm, hairy or silky.

persistent, disclike, sessile.

deciduous, petiolate.

2, wrinkled.

(2 or)3–5(or 6), tan, brown, or red.