Erect annual or short-lived perennial, up to 1–2·3 m. tall, usually with numerous ascending branches from the base upwards.. Stem ribbed, appressed or rarely shortly spreading puberulous.. Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets variable, usually mostly elliptic-oblong to elliptic, with the upper ones longer and proportionally narrower, but occasionally all linear-lanceolate, up to 50–90 mm. long, (12–) 18–28 mm. wide, glabrous above, appressed puberulous beneath; petiole up to 24–48 mm. long.. Stipules absent.. Racemes up to 15–45(–60) cm. long, with many rather crowded flowers; bracts subulate or linear-caudate, expanded at the base, 1·5–5 mm. long; bracteoles inserted at the base of the calyx, narrow, 1–2 mm. long.. Calyx becoming basally truncate and deflexed against the pedicel, 4–6 mm. long, rather densely appressed pubescent; lobes subulate or acuminate, a little shorter to a little longer than the tube.. Standard obovate-orbicular, yellow, veined purple or reddish-brown and glabrous outside; wings subequal to or generally longer than the keel; keel rounded about the middle, sometimes rather abruptly so, with a slightly incurved untwisted beak, 10–13 mm. long.. Pod subsessile, narrowly cylindrical, curved upwards at the tip, 28–36(–40) mm. long, 5–6 mm. across, shortly appressed pubescent, ± 60–75-seeded.. Seeds oblique-cordiform, ± 2·5–3 mm. long, smooth, straw-coloured.
Home