Flora of North America species comparison

erect, ascending, or spreading, glabrate to pubescent.

slender, erect, clustered, many-branched, from rhizomes;

branches ascending at 20–45º, weakly to strongly zigzag.

alternate, odd-pinnate;

stipules present, usually persistent, ± foliaceous, dimorphic, proximalmost amplexicaul, scarious, and not blade-bearing, distal ones smaller and narrower, subtending leaves;

petiolate;

leaflets 3, stipels absent, subpetiolulate, blade margins entire, not glandular-punctate, surfaces glabrous or pubescent.

stipules persistent, widely ovate to lanceolate, 1.5–6.5 × 0.7–5 cm, base cuneate to cordate or amplexicaul, apex acuminate;

petiole 1–3.5 cm;

leaflet blades elliptic, obovate, or rhombic, 3–7(–9) × 1.2–4(–4.5) cm, lateral veins 6–9 pairs, conspicuously net-veined abaxially, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces silvery-sericeous or tomentose to villous.

10–40-flowered, 7–30(–35) cm;

flowers mostly in whorls of 3–5.

5–90-flowered, usually terminal, sometimes lateral, racemes;

bracts present, deciduous or persistent, apex acute to acuminate;

bracteoles absent.

2–10 cm;

bracts semipersistent, ovate to lanceolate, 6–15(–30) × 2.5–15(–20) mm.

2–6 mm, sericeous or tomentose.

papilionaceous;

calyx campanulate, lobes 5, appearing 4-lobed, subequal, abaxial lobes deltate to lanceolate, adaxial lobe double, broader, slightly longer, apex truncate to emarginate;

corolla yellow, banner widely ovate, shorter than wing and keel petals, apex usually cleft, sometimes emarginate or short-mucronate, claw cuneate to oblong, replicate to reflexed, wings not adnate to keel, often asymmetric, auriculate, ± length of keel, claw narrowly oblong, keel petals usually asymmetric, auriculate, posteriorly fused, without beak, claw narrowly oblong;

stamens 10, distinct, uniform;

anthers dorsifixed;

ovary short-stipitate, oblong, usually longer than style, pubescent, velutinous, villous, or tomentose [villosulous];

style glabrous;

stigma minute.

1.5–2 cm;

calyx 5–9(–10) × 5–9 mm at limb, lobes 2.5–5 mm, equal to or longer than tube;

wing and keel petals asymmetrically oblong-elliptic or, sometimes, reniform (var. argentata);

ovary velutinous;

ovules 5–11.

legumes, persistent, stipitate, stipe 2–4 mm, erect, ascending, or divergent, tan to brown, laterally compressed, straight, arcuate, or, rarely, annular, narrowly elliptic, margins straight, or sinuate or lomentaceous from ovule abortion, papery, not elastic, slowly dehiscent, valves separating from apex through both sutures, sericeous, tomentose, velutinous, villous, glabrate, villosulous, or pubescent.

ascending (irregularly divaricate when young), straight, 2–6(–7) × (0.5–)0.6–0.9 cm, sericeous, tomentose, or velutinous.

1–16, oblong, elliptic, or reniform; often with minute, membranous rim-aril.

1–6(–10), brown, oblong, 4–5(–5.5) × (2.5–)2.8–4 mm, short-beaked.

= 9.