Flora of North America species comparison

erect, ascending, or spreading, glabrate to pubescent.

thick, erect, solitary or few-clustered, several-branched, from woody rootstock;

branches ascending at 45º, moderately 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, 3–9 × 2–6 cm, base amplexicaul to cordate, apex acuminate;

petiole 2–5(–7) cm;

leaflet blades elliptic, 4–10 × 2–5 cm, lateral veins 6–8 pairs, not conspicuously net-veined abaxially, apex acute, surfaces villous.

30–90-flowered, 25–60 cm;

flowers in whorls of 3–5.

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

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

bracteoles absent.

8–15 cm;

bracts persistent, ovate to lanceolate, 8–10 × 3–5 mm.

2.5–4 mm, 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.

1.7–2.2 cm;

calyx 7–9 × 7–8 mm at limb, lobes 3–4 mm, equal to or shorter than tube;

wing petals elliptic, keel petals obovate;

ovary velutinous;

ovules 7–9.

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.

erect, straight, 3.5–5 × 0.5–0.7 cm, villous.

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

5–7, brown-black, widely elliptic, 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm, short-beaked.

= 9.

= 18.