Small tree, shrub or liane; twigs grey, pubescent when young.. Buds inconspicuous.. Stipules triangular, fibrous, caducous, 2–5 mm. long and 2 mm. broad; leaf-rhachis khaki pubescent, up to 7 cm. long, including a petiole of up to 2.5 cm., prolonged 3–7 mm. beyond the lateral leaflets; stipellae subulate, 1.5–2 mm. long; petiolules khaki pubescent, 1–1.5 mm. long; leaflets 5 or, more often, 7, elliptic or oblanceolate with a short broad oblanceolate tip, rounded and narrowed at the base, glabrous above, appressed pubescent, sometimes with a golden sheen, beneath; principal nerves 6–7 on each side, not reaching the margin.. Inflorescence a khaki pubescent terminal panicle, the side branches each with 2–5 flowers and mostly under 5 mm. long but the lower ones sometimes up to 2 cm.; bracts ovate, up to 3 mm. long, pubescent, caducous; pedicel up to 6 mm. long; bracteoles at calyx-base, ovate, ± 2 mm. long.. Calyx velvety, greenish-brown; upper lip longitudinally wrinkled in the bud, resembling the standard in shape, ± 14 mm. long, 8 mm. wide at the base and 22 mm. wide near the tip when mature, notched at the apex, with 8 branching longitudinal veins and a well-marked vein-network between; lower teeth some 8 mm. long and 3 mm. wide near the base, the 2 lateral ones asymmetric; calyx-tube ± 3 mm. long above the insertion of the stamens and 2 mm. below.. Corolla mauve, strongly veined, glabrous; blade of standard emarginate, with a callous transverse fold at each side of its base, ± 14 mm. long and 21 mm. wide, the claw broad, tapering, ± 4 mm. long and 3 mm. wide at the base; claws of wings and keel attached to filament-sheath; wings 16 mm. long including a claw of 3 mm., the blade folded at the base, 11 mm. wide near the tip, the auricle 2.5 mm. long; keel 18 mm. long including a claw of 6 mm., pouched at the sides, ± 10 mm. wide, with an auricle of 1.5 mm.. Vexillary stamen free, curved and widened at the base, some 12 mm. long; filament-sheath 8–9 mm. long, free parts 7–8 mm. long and curved through 90°; anthers 1.6–1.7 mm. long.. Disc (nectary) 1–1.5 mm. long, collar-shaped, 10-lobed at the edge, closely clasping the ovary-base.. Ovary 12 mm. long, densely silky pubescent, with 8 ovules at and below the middle; style glabrous, gradually curved through 90°; stigma small, punctate.. Immature pods suboblong, the upper margin curved, up to 10 cm. long and 2.3 cm. wide, densely rusty tomentose, paler towards the margin, 4–6-seeded, or fewer by abortion; sutures, especially the upper, slightly thickened; beak short, somewhat down-curved.. Immature seeds oblong, flat, obliquely transverse.. Fig. 23, p. 121.
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Leaves 5–7-foliolate; petiole 2.5 cm long, brown-yellow pubescent; rachis up to 4.5 cm long; leaflets 3–8 × 2–4 cm, elliptic to oblanceolate or oblong, broadly acute at the apex, narrowed to a rounded base, glabrous on upper surface, appressed-pubescent beneath and sometimes with a golden sheen, lateral nerves 6–7 on each side; stipules 2–5 × 2 mm, triangular, fibrous, deciduous; stipels 1.5–2 mm long, subulate; petiolules 1–1.5 mm long.
Corolla lilac, mauve or wine-red, scarcely exserted; standard 14 × 21 mm, oblate, emarginate, glabrous, with transverse callus on each side of base, claw 4 mm long; blade of wing 13 × 11 cm, obtriangular, with auricle 2.5 mm long and claw 3 mm long; blades of keel petals c.12 × 10 mm, ± semicircular, with auricle 15 mm long and a small pocket near its base, claw 6 mm long.
Inflorescence a narrow terminal many-flowered panicle 7–20 cm long, the lateral branches under 0.5 to 3 cm long, 2–5-flowered; bracts c.3 mm long, ovate, pubescent, deciduous; bracteoles at calyx base, c.2 mm long, ovate; pedicels up to 6 mm long.
Calyx greenish-brown, velvety; tube c.3 mm long; upper lip longitudinally wrinkled in bud, bilabiate, 15 × 22 mm wide at apex, 8 mm wide at base; the 3 lower teeth c.8 × 3 mm.
Stamen sheath 8–9 mm long with free parts 7–8 mm long; anthers 1.6 mm long; upper filament almost free, widened at the base, 12 mm long.
Ovary 12 mm long, 8-ovuled, densely silky pubescent; style glabrous curved through 90°.
Pods 6.5–10 × 1.5–2.3 cm, narrowly oblong, densely rusty pubescent, 4–6-seeded.
Small tree, shrub or liane 4–6 m tall; branchlets grey, pubescent when young.
Seeds blackish, elliptic, 10 mm long (immature).
Nectarial disk 10-lobed, 1–1.5 mm long.
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