Flora of North America species comparison

erect, ascending, or spreading, glabrate to pubescent.

slender, ascending or spreading, solitary or clustered, several-branched, from extensive rhizomes;

branches spreading at 45–80º, 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 caducous, narrowly elliptic to linear, 1.5–2 × 0.3–0.5(–0.8) cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate;

petiole 0.7–1.7 cm;

leaflet blades elliptic, 3.5–8 × 1–4 cm, lateral veins 7–9 pairs, conspicuously net-veined abaxially, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces sparsely appressed-pubescent (especially on veins), sometimes glabrate adaxially.

terminal, 5–17-flowered, 7–20 cm;

flowers scattered.

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

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

bracteoles absent.

3–7 cm;

bracts persistent, lanceolate, 8–13 × 2–4 mm.

4–6 mm, villosulous.

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.

1.6–1.9 cm;

calyx 7.5–8 × 6–7 mm at limb, lobes 2–3 mm, shorter than tube;

wing petals elliptic to asymmetrically oblong-elliptic, keel petals asymmetrically oblong-elliptic;

ovary densely appressed-pubescent;

ovules (8–)12–16.

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.

divaricate, arcuate to straight, (3–)4–9 × 0.4–0.6 cm, densely appressed-pubescent.

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

6–12, tan to brown-black, oblong, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2 mm, beaked.

= 9.

= 18.