Meadow Joint Vetch

Perennial, Shrubs, Stems woody below, or from woody crown or caudex, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems 1-2 m tall, Plants turning black on drying, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs glabrous or sparsely glabrate, Leaves a lternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules free, Stipules cordate, lobed, or sagittate, Leaves compound, Leaves even pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets alternate or subopposite, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves glandular punctate or gland-dotted, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx 2-lipped or 2-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals orange or yellow, Petals bicolored or with red, purple or yellow streaks or spots, Banner petal suborbicular, broadly rounded, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel abruptly curved, or spirally coiled, Keel petals fused on sides or at tip, Stamens 9-10, Stamens monadelphous, united below, Filaments glabrous, Style teret e, Fruit a loment, jointed, separating into articles, Fruit stipitate, Fruit unilocular, Fruit indehiscent, Fruit elongate, straight, Fruit rugose wrinkled or reticulate, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit compressed between seeds, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds reniform, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.