Prostrate or ascending herb with a thick perennial rootstock; stems ridged, somewhat flattened, sparingly appressed strigulose, as are the leaf-rhachides and inflorescences. Stipules broadly scarious at the base, tapering to a subulate tip, appressed strigulose, glabrescent at the margins; rhachis flattened, up to 3 cm. long, including a petiole of 1–3 mm., prolonged up to 3 mm. beyond the lateral leaflets; leaflets 5–11, most often 7, cuneate-obovate or cuneate-oblong, apiculate, varying greatly in size, ± 3 mm. long in reduced forms, ±10 mm. in average plants and up to 30 mm. in stout forms, usually strigulose on both surfaces, or, rarely, glabrous above. Racemes densely many-flowered, the fertile portion 2 or more times as long as the 1–4 cm. long peduncle; bracts brownish, lanceolate, caducous; pedicels ± 0.5 mm. long. Calyx appressed strigose, 2–3 mm. long, divided almost to the base. Corolla sparsely strigulose outside. Stamens 3–4 mm. long. Style ± 1 mm. long, bent upwards near the base. Fruit reflexed, straight or slightly downcurved, slightly tetragonal, strigulose, apiculate, often torulose when immature, 11–18 mm. long, ± 1.7 mm. wide and 2 mm. thick; endocarp not spotted. Seeds 5–8, subglobular, yellow, smooth. Fig. 46/17.
