Leaves petiolate; leaflets glabrous or sparsely pilose, those of the lower leaves c. 1 cm long, narrowly cuneate-oblong, those of the upper leaves up to 6 cm long, linear-lanceolate, with well-marked, subulate teeth on the margins, the lateral nerves many on each side, at 5–15º to the midrib; petioles 1–3 cm long, adnate to the stem-sheathing stipules for all their length; stipules ending in bristly points, glabrous but pilose at the margins.
Inflorescence hemispherical or ovoid, c. 13 mm in diameter; peduncle up to 5 cm long, pilose, especially at the top; bracts up to 1 mm long, white.
Calyx whitish, glabrous or sparsely pilose; tube c. 2 mm long, 17–20-nerved; teeth 2–3 mm long, subulate.
Corolla nearly twice as long as the calyx, pink-purple, rarely white; standard c. 6 mm long.
Stems up to 50 cm, erect or sometimes semi-decumbent but not rooting at the nodes.
Ovary 2-ovulate, glabrous; style 2.5 mm long, persistent.
Flowers with pedicels c. 1 mm long, erect in fruit.
Straggling perennial herb up to 11/2 ft. high
Seeds c. 1.3 × 1 mm, ovoid, pale brown.
Roots with elongated nodules.
Stamens 3–5 mm long.
Perennial herb.
Pod 1–2-seeded.
Purple flowers