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, 100 to 400 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 spreading or reflexed, triangular to lanceolate, 1.5–3.5 × 0.5–1.5 mm, often strigillose;

petiole and rachis with same pubescence as stem;

petiole (2–)3–6(–9) cm;

rachis (0.5–)1–2(–2.5) cm;

stipels ovate, 1 mm, proximal stipels ovate to lanceolate, 1–2.5 mm;

leaflet blades usually 3-lobed, sometimes deltate or broadly ovate, 2–4 × 1–3 cm, leathery, venation reticulate, base obtuse or broadly rounded, apex usually obtuse, rarely acute, surfaces abaxially sparsely to densely covered with ascending and uncinate hairs, adaxially glabrous or sparsely covered with ascending and uncinate hairs.

(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.

rarely with basal and lateral branches, flowers clustered apically, 8–55 cm;

main axis sparsely to densely covered with uncinate and often ascending hairs;

rachis (2.5–)8–27.5 cm, with 5–15 often scattered, biflorous nodes, secondary rachis often developed with 3–5 flowers;

primary bracts ovate to lanceolate, 1–4 × 0.3–1.2 mm, 3-veined, glabrous or strigillose.

(1–)5–25 cm.

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

5–10 mm, sparsely covered with uncinate and often with ascending hairs;

bracteoles usually persistent, ovate to oblong, 0.5–1.2 mm.

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, 2.5–3 mm, glabrous or sparsely covered with ascending hairs;

lateral and abaxial lobes orbiculate;

adaxial lobes connate;

corolla deep rose or rosy pink, 10–12 mm;

banner ovate, 9–11 mm, usually wider than long, apex emarginate;

wings obovate, 10 mm;

keel strongly incurved, 10 mm;

ovary lanceolate-falcate, 5–6 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, falcate, 35–55 × 8–10 mm, elastically dehiscent, valves leathery, glabrous, short-stipitate.

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

epihilum white.

4–6, dark red-brown to blackish, reniform, 7 × 5.5 mm, smooth;

hilum lanceolate, 1.5 mm, epihilum white.

, annual or perennial, unarmed;

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

perennial, with tuberous taproots.

= 10, 11.