Flora of North America species comparison

usually prostrate to climbing, rarely erect, striate, often lignescent, pubescent, covered with oblique to appressed, retrorse hairs, interspersed with finely uncinate, minutely hooked hairs.

trailing or climbing, to 250 cm.

alternate, odd-pinnate;

stipules and stipels present (terminal ones ascending, those of lateral leaflets spreading), at times covered with glandular hairs, these nectariferous;

petiole present, petiole and rachis canaliculate;

leaflets 3, blade margins entire, surfaces glabrous or pubescent.

stipules usually ascending, ovate to broadly triangular, 1–2.5 × 0.8–2.4 mm;

petiole 2–5.5 cm;

rachis 0.5–2 cm;

stipels linear to ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–1.5 mm;

leaflet blades ovate in outline, not lobed or shallowly to deeply lobed basally, lobes quadrate-obtuse to oblong-attenuate, 1–5 × 1–4.5 cm, membranous to rigid, base broadly cuneate to truncate, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces covered with uncinate hairs, abaxially with incumbent hairs along veins.

(1–)3–60+-flowered, terminal or axillary, usually pseudoracemes, rarely also with basal and lateral branches (compound racemes), (1 or)4–60 floral nodes, not swollen, often biflorous;

primary bracts present, usually persistent, secondary bracts at base of pedicels;

bracteoles minute or equal to calyx tube;

bracts and bracteoles often nectariferous as stipules.

1.2–16 cm;

axis covered with uncinate hairs;

rachis 0.2–7.5 cm, with 2–6 biflorous nodes;

primary bracts ovate to lanceolate, 1–2 × 0.5 mm, often pigmented, 3-veined.

often angled, 1–10 cm.

equal to or longer than calyx tube, arcuate or reflexed in fruit.

5 mm, hairs uncinate;

bracteoles persistent, oblong-ovate to narrowly triangular, 0.6–1.3 mm, often covered with uncinate hairs.

papilionaceous;

calyx campanulate or campanulate-tubular, lobes 5, usually shorter than tube, adaxial usually ± connate throughout;

corolla pink, purple, red, violet, or white;

banner glabrous abaxially, often hairy adaxially, slightly to strongly thickened at point of reflexion, often with two intramarginal thickenings;

wings longer than other petals;

keel beaked, apex 1.5–2 laterally and tightly coiled, coils 1.5–5.5 mm diam.;

stamens 10, diadelphous, vexillary stamen dilated or with globose to bladelike appendage basally;

anthers dorsifixed alternating with basifixed;

pollen tricolporate to triporate, often with pseudocolpi;

ovary with nectary disc at base, linear;

stigma introrse, laterally or extrorsely placed because of stylar rotation, apical or extrorse.

calyx campanulate, 2–3.5 mm, sparsely to densely covered with uncinate hairs;

abaxial and lateral lobes triangular;

adaxial lobes connate;

corolla pink, lavender, reddish to light purple, or white fading yellowish, 10 mm;

banner oblong to orbiculate, 10 mm, apex emarginate, surfaces glabrous;

wings obovate, 10 mm, apex acute or obtuse;

keel 6 mm;

ovary linear, 3 mm.

legumes, sessile or stipitate, usually falcate, sometimes straight, linear or oblong, short-beaked, usually elastically dehiscent, membranous, papery, or leathery, compressed or expanding over seeds, glabrous or pubescent.

pendent, compressed, linear-falcate, 23–35 × 4–5 mm, elastically dehiscent, valves membranous, sparsely covered with incumbent and uncinate hairs.

1–20, oblong, quadrate, suborbicular, or reniform;

epihilum white.

4–6(or 7), brown, usually oblong to quadrate, rarely reniform, 2–4.3 × 2.3–4 mm, rugose;

hilum ovate, 0.3 mm.

, annual or perennial, unarmed;

roots tuberous or elongated (non-tuberous) taproots or fibrous.

annual or short-lived perennial, frequently mat-forming, with slender taproots.

= 10, 11.

= 22.