Erect multi-stemmed suffrutex to 1.5 m tall and ±1 m wide. Stems many, semi-prostrate along river banks but ascending to erect in grassland, branching at or near the base, branches lax, longitudinally-striated and slightly angular, flexuous. Seasonal shoots smooth, glabrous, bright green. Leaves 7-9-foliolate, pinnae reducing in size and number from base of seasonal shoot to flowering end until disappearing completely, patent, petiolate; leaflets 14-30(40) x 0.5-2 mm, linear lanceolate, basal pair longest, terminal leaflet second longest, uppermost leaflets digitately to slightly pinnately inserted, glabrous; petioles 4-6 mm long, shorter than terminal leaflet; rachis 5-10 mm long; stipules 2-3 x 1.5-2 mm, persistent, patent, shorter than petiole, drying black. Inflorescences axillary, borne in most axils of seasonal shoots, fasciculate, pseudo-spicate, lax, 1-flowered, 1-6 per axil, pedunculate, pedicellate; peduncles 30-35 mm long, filiform, flexuous, longer than the subtending leaf; cupulum 1.5 mm long, glabrous, bilobed, one of the lobes cleft, lobes equally developed, triangular; pedicels 2-3 mm long. Flowers 11-14 mm long, reddish purple. Calyx 5-6 mm long; tube 3-4 x 3.5 mm, glabrous, shiny, greenish; lobes purplish, strongly ridged, shorter than the tube, equally developed, oblong-ovate, sub-acute, vexillar lobes fused one quarter their length; both tube and lobes glabrous to pubescent on the outer surface, but with stubby black hairs within the lobes; margins ciliate. Standard petal 11-12 x 8-9 mm, ovate-oblong, deep purple with large white M-shaped nectar guide subtending a short dark purple patch in the crotch, veins of blade darker, appendages present, auricles well-developed, large and swollen, apex rounded; claw 3-4 mm long. Wing petals 10-11 x 3-3.5 mm, white to pale purple, blade overlapping, capping the keel, folded and puckered along its mid-line; sculpturing present, basal, comprised of 2-3 rows of 9-12 transcostal lamellae; claw 3.5-4.5 mm long. Keel 9-10 x 3.5-4 mm, white, apically suffused with dark violet-purple; claw 4-5 mm long. Androecium 11 mm long, tenth stamen free, fenestrate. Pistil 11 mm long, stipe 1 mm long, ovary 2 mm long, sparsely glandular near apex, style 5 mm long, straight then flexed upwards, swollen at point of flexure, height of curvature 3 mm, stipitate, penicillate. Fruits 3-4 x 2.5-3.0 mm, oblong. Seeds 2-3 x 2 mm, dark brown to black.
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