Flora of North America species comparison

erect, ascending, or spreading, glabrate to pubescent.

slender, erect, solitary or clustered, many-branched, from woody rootstock or rhizomes;

branches spreading at 30–70º, moderately 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, asymmetrically ovate-elliptic, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–3 cm, base cuneate to cordate, apex acuminate;

petiole 2.5–4(–5) cm;

leaflet blades elliptic to obovate or rhombic, 3–6(–8) × 2–3.2 cm, lateral veins 6–9 pairs, conspicuously net-veined abaxially, apex acute, obtuse, or emarginate, surfaces glabrous.

7–30-flowered, 12–20(–30) cm;

flowers scattered.

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

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

bracteoles absent.

4–9(–11) cm;

bracts semipersistent, ovate, 6–8 × 3–5 mm.

6–16 mm, glabrous or sparsely villous.

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.

2–2.3 cm;

calyx 8–10 × 7–8 mm at limb, lobes 2–3 mm, much shorter than tube;

wing petals elliptic, keel petals asymmetrically oblong-elliptic;

ovary sparsely villous;

ovules 9–14.

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.

irregularly divergent, straight, 3–6 × 0.4–0.6 cm, inconspicuously pubescent.

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

2–8, tan, oblong, 3–4 × 2 mm, short-beaked.

= 9.

= 36.