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General:
Perennial herb from a branching, woody stem-base; stems 1 to several, erect, 30-70 cm tall, sometimes branched above, silky-hairy throughout.
Leaves:
Basal and alternate along the stem, palmately compound; leaflets 5 to 9, oblanceolate, pointed or blunt at the tip, 3.5-6 cm long, covered with long silky hairs.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a stalked, terminal raceme, 10-20 cm long, of whorled pea-like flowers, the flower-stalks 3.5-6 mm long; corollas deep blue to lavender but sometimes pink or white, 11-13 mm long, the banner silky and with a white or yellow central patch on the back, the wings mostly glabrous, the keel fringed with hairs along the upper edges; calyces 2-lipped, the upper lip 2-toothed, the lower lip slightly longer, entire.
Fruits:
Pods, about 3 cm long, nearly 1 cm wide, densely silky-hairy; seeds 4 to 6, pinkish-brown.
Notes:
Recognition of infraspecific taxa within this highly variable species does not appear warranted at this time.
Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
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