Flora of North America species comparison

erect, ascending, or spreading, glabrate to pubescent.

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

branches spreading at 45–60º, 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, elliptic to ovate, 1.5–4.5 × 0.9–2.4 cm, base oblique to cuneate, apex acute to obtuse;

petiole 2–5(–6) cm;

leaflet blades elliptic, 4–9.5 × 1.8–4.4 cm, lateral veins 6–8 pairs, conspicuously net-veined abaxially, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces sparsely villous abaxially, glabrate adaxially.

10–50-flowered, 15–50 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.

6–13 cm;

bracts deciduous, widely ovate to widely obovate, 5–7 × 5–6(–8) mm.

2–3 mm, densely 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.

1.7–1.9 cm;

calyx 7–8 × 5–6.5 mm at limb, lobes 2–3 mm, much shorter than tube;

wing and keel petals asymmetrically oblong-rhombic;

ovary velutinous;

ovules 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.

ascending, straight to slightly arcuate, 4–5.5 × 0.4–0.6 cm, densely tomentose to villous.

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

7–12, olive brown, elliptic, 3–3.5 × 1.8–2 mm, beaked.

= 9.

= 18.