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Leaves: petiole and rachis pubescent like the stem, with plumose setae aggregated at insertion of pinnae and leaflets; petiole 0.5–2.7 cm long; rachis (excluding terminal pinna) 0–6.5 cm long; pinnae 1–4 pairs; rachides of lateral pinnae 0.7–2.4 cm long, with 2–6 pairs of leaflets; rachides of terminal pinna 1.5–10.5 cm long, with 4–12 pairs of leaflets; leaflets 4–11× 2–5(7) mm, usually oblong to oblong-elliiptic, glabrous to appressed pubescent; stipules up to 8 × 1.5 mm, lanceolate with marginal plumose setae, pubescent like the stem.
A herb or small shrub. It has a taproot but no stem. It grows 50 cm high. It keeps growing from year to year by putting up annual shoots. The roots are 20 cm long with a brown skin and white flesh. The leaves are compound with leaflets along the stalk and one at the end. The flowers are pink or red. The fruit are oblique pods. They are 2-3 cm long by 1 cm wide. There are 3-4 seeds per pod.
Stems with sparsely appressed to densely spreading hairs usually interspersed with conspicuous longer pale plumose setae up to 2 mm long; dark glands present on stems, leaves, inflorescences, calyces and pods.
Shortly erect or decumbent-ascending herb or rarely a subshrub with stems 12–45 cm long arising from a woody rootstock, at least in subsp. burchellii, bearing fusiform tubers up to 15 cm long.
Pods 1.8–3.2 × 0.8–1 cm, obliquely oblong, straight or slightly curved, buff with conspicuous dark glands, with or without short pubescence, densely covered with plumose setae, 3–4-seeded.
Inflorescence (including peduncle) up to 12.5 cm long; pedicels up to 3(6) mm long in flower; bracts linear-lanceolate with plumose setae, deciduous before the buds open.
Petals unequal, up to 6 × 2.5 mm, recorded as red, orange, salmon, pink or purple.
Calyx lobes unequal, the lowest up to 6 × 3.5 mm, the upper ones up to 6 × 2 mm.
Stamens 10, filaments alternately longer and shorter, up to 6 mm long.
Ovary subsessile, pubescent.
Seeds 5–6.5 × 3.5–6 mm.
