Flora of North America species comparison

erect, ascending, or spreading, glabrate to pubescent.

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

branches ascending at 20–45º, weakly or 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 or elliptic, 1.7–4.5 × 0.7–2.5 cm, base oblique to cuneate, apex acuminate or acute;

petiole 1–4 cm;

leaflet blades elliptic or obovate, 3.5–8 × 0.7–3(–5) cm, lateral veins 6–11 pairs, conspicuously net-veined abaxially or not, apex acute or obtuse, sometimes short-mucronate or emarginate, surfaces sparsely appressed-pubescent or glabrous.

6–25-flowered, 4–25 cm;

flowers in whorls of 2 or 3 or scattered.

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

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

bracteoles absent.

2–8 cm;

bracts semipersistent, narrowly elliptic or elliptic to widely ovate, 6–10 × 2.5–6 mm.

3.5–5 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.

1.6–2.2 cm;

calyx 9–11 × 5–8 mm at limb, lobes 3–5 mm, shorter than tube;

wings and keel petals asymmetrically oblong-elliptic;

ovary velutinous or densely appressed-pubescent;

ovules 10–16.

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.

ascending, straight, 4.5–6.5 × 0.4–0.6 cm, villosulous or appressed-pubescent.

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

6–16, brown-black, oblong, 3.5–5 × 2.5–3 mm, beaked.

= 9.