Flora of North America species comparison

erect, usually pubescent, rarely glabrate or glabrous, glandular nearly throughout, gland-dotted when young.

alternate, odd-pinnate or unifoliolate;

stipules present, caducous, usually triangular to subulate or linear, rarely obovate;

petiolate;

leaflets 1–17(or 19), stipels absent, blade margins entire or gland-crenulate, surfaces usually glandular-punctate abaxially, pubescent.

1–20+-flowered, terminal and axillary (sometimes leaf-opposed), usually racemes, rarely spikes;

bracts present, caducous;

bracteoles 0 or 2, at apex of pedicel or base of calyx.

papilionaceous;

calyx campanulate, lobes 5, unequal;

ribs 10, not anastomosing into closed arches distally;

corolla usually blue, blue-purple, pink-purple, magenta-purple, violet-purple, violet, or bicolored, sometimes with yellow eye, rarely white;

banner blade differentiated from claw, reflexed less than 90°, claw shorter;

wings not adnate to keel, blades oblique basally, claws shorter, linear;

keel not strongly twisted, blades narrowly overlapping and adherent, oblique basally, blunt-tipped, claws linear;

stamens 10, monadelphous, equal or alternately short and long;

anthers dorsifixed;

style glabrous or pilosulous.

legumes, sessile, mostly tan, plump to compressed, obovoid, ovoid-ellipsoid, obovoid-ellipsoid, or obliquely obovoid or ellipsoid, indehiscent, often membranous proximally, thickened distally, gland-dotted, glabrous or pubescent.

usually 1, rarely 2, chestnut to brownish or greenish, sometimes with brown or purple spots, somewhat compressed, oblong.

= 10.