Herbs, 15-30 cm tall, shortly caulescent, from a simple or multiheaded caudex, with 1-2 or more apparent internodes, tuft-forming. Stipules lanceolate, 1.4-1.7 cm, papery, with spreading dense trichomes, basally adnate to petiole. Leaves 10-22 cm, 23-31-foliolate; petiole and rachis with spreading dense white long and black short trichomes; leaflet blades oblong, lanceolate, elliptic, obovate, or oblong-lanceolate, 0.7-2.5 × 0.2-0.8 cm, both surfaces with spreading dense white long trichomes, apex acute to subtruncate. Racemes many flowered; peduncle 7-27 cm, shorter to longer than leaves, erect-ascending, with dense white and black trichomes; bracts linear, 4-6 mm. Calyx 6.3-10 mm, with dense black and white long trichomes; lobes 1.5-4 mm. Corolla purple, rarely white or fading to cream; standard 0.9-1.7 cm, lamina suborbicular to broadly ovate, apex rounded; wings 0.8-1.5 cm, apex rounded; keel 0.7-1.4 cm, beak 0.8-1.5 mm. Legume stipitate; stipe ca. 3 mm; body cylindric, ca. 1.5 × 0.5 cm, declining, 1-locular, with dense black short trichomes, septum ca. 0.5 mm wide, adaxial suture grooved, beak ca. 3 mm. Fl. and fr. May-Sep.