Plants strigose or hirsutulous, hairs 0.6–1.4 mm. Stems 10–30(–45) cm. Leaves 1–6.5(–8) cm; leaflets 13–17(–21), blades broadly elliptic, apex proximally obtuse or emarginate, distally subacute or obtuse. Peduncles longer or shorter than leaves. Racemes 4–9(–12)-flowered; axis to 0.8(–1.2) cm in fruit. Flowers: calyx 4–5.4(–5.7) mm, hirsute or hirsutulous, tube 2–3.1 mm, lobes 1.8–2.1(–3.1) mm; corolla banner 7–9(–9.5) mm; keel apex triangular-acute or sharply deltate, usually beaklike. Legumes 13–24 × 1.8–2.8(–3) mm, glabrous. Seeds 14–18.

Phenology: Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat: Prairies, roadsides, and open woods.
Elevation: 0–800 m.

Distribution

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Tex.

Discussion

Variety pleianthus is widespread in Texas east of the one hundredth meridian. It is sympatric with several congeners but does not intergrade with them so justi­fication exists for elevating this taxon to species (see D. Isely 1998 for key to related sympatric species).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.