Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, tufted, unbranched, stout, usually hollow.

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 cauline;

stipules not leaflike, green to silvery, 5–40 mm;

petiole 3–45 cm, basal long-petiolate and forming a basal tuft, cauline petioles shorter distally;

leaflets (5 or)6–12(–17), blades (10–)30–150 × 5–25 mm, adaxial surface hairy or glabrous.

several–many-flowered, 3–14 cm;

flowers spirally arranged.

open, 6–40 cm;

flowers ± whorled.

1–10 cm;

bracts persistent, straight, 2–4 mm.

3–13 cm;

bracts deciduous, 7–11 mm.

1–4 mm.

(2–)3–15 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.

9–15 mm;

calyx 4–8 mm, bulge or spur 0–1 mm, lobes entire;

corolla violet to lavender, pink, or white, banner patch yellow to white, sometimes turning red-purple, banner glabrous abaxially, keel upcurved, glabrous, ciliate, or ciliolate.

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

2.5–5 × 0.7–1 cm, hairy.

persistent, disclike, sessile.

deciduous, petiolate.

2, wrinkled.

3–9.