Perennial herb with a woody rootstock; stems pubescent.. Leaves at the base of the shoots vestigial, the lamina reduced to a short point, those above these 1-foliolate and those at the top of the shoots 3–5(or, outside Flora area, –9)-foliolate; stipules narrowly triangular-setaceous, up to 12 mm. long; petiole 2–4 mm. long, the rhachis not prolonged beyond the lateral leaflets; leaflets linear-lanceolate, sparsely strigulose, sometimes glabrous above; after flowering the simple leaves may reach 8 cm. in length and 1 cm. in width, the leaflets of compound leaves 5 cm. and 4 mm.. Racemes 15–40-flowered, borne in the axils of the vestigial leaves below the immature foliage leaves, up to 15 cm. long in fruit, including a peduncle of up to 4 cm., much shorter in flower; bracts lanceolate, very caducous, up to 5 mm. long; pedicels in flower up to 1 mm. long, in fruit 2 mm., spreading or deflexed.. Calyx sparingly pilose, 3–4 mm. long, the lobes narrowly triangular with subulate tips, longer than the tube.. Corolla almost glabrous, the keel not rostrate, laterally spurred.. Stamens 4 mm. long.. Fruit up to 2.5 cm. long, 2.8 mm. wide, 1.5 mm. thick, appressed strigulose, 7–10-seeded; endocarp not, or hardly, spotted.. Seeds smooth, oblong, 1.5 mm. long.
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