Annual or perennial climbing, or rarely suberect, herb, 0·9–7 m. long.. Stems covered with ± spreading often ferruginous hairs.. Leaflets 3, oblong or ovate-lanceolate or ovate-oblong to linear-lanceolate, 2·5–15 cm. long, 0·3–5 cm. wide, narrowly rounded to acuminate and apiculate at the apex, rounded and sometimes subhastate at the base, sparsely to densely pubescent on both surfaces; petiole 1·5–7 cm. long; rhachis 0·4–1·7 cm. long; petiolules 1–2 mm. long; stipules ovate-lanceolate, 2–5 mm. long, slightly bilobed at the base.. Inflorescences axillary; rhachis 1–4(–8) cm. long, conspicuously glandular; peduncle 1·5–15 cm. long; pedicels 3–5 mm. long; bracteoles subpersistent, ovate-lanceolate, 1·5–5 mm. long.. Calyx pubescent; tube 2–3 mm. long; lobes deltoid, 0·6–2 mm. long, the upper pair united to form an entire or slightly bifid lobe.. Standard white, yellow or brownish outside, often tinged greenish-purple, blue or violet inside or in western Africa entirely yellow, broadly obovate, 1–2·2 cm. long, 1·5–2·5 cm. wide, pubescent or velvety outside with adpressed hairs; wings yellow or white tinged violet at the apex or all mauve or blue; keel yellow, white or purple with the beak neither curved nor twisted.. Pods linear, compressed, 2·7–6 cm. long, 4–7 mm. wide, pubescent, 4–8-seeded.. Seeds greenish or reddish-brown, mottled with darker brown or black, oblong, longest dimension 4–5·5 mm., shorter dimension 2–3·5 mm., 2 mm. thick; aril eccentric, yellowish, 2·3 mm. long, the central prong very short, acute.
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