Perennial herb from a woody taproot, has several stems from the base that are upright or laying flat with many branches. Herbage covered with white, straight, flat hairs. Yellow flowers in clusters of 3 to 12 flowers which are pea-flower shaped.
Many stemmed perennial; mostly appressed hairs throughout; nearly stemless leaves with 3 to 5 leaflets; stalks below inflorescences longer than leaves; fruit pods less than 1/8 inch wide. L. wrightii which is similar has truly palmate leaves.
Habitat
Found on slopes, mesas, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and ponderosa pine forests, in sandy to gravelly soils.
Flower Characteristics
Flowers in clusters of 3 to 12 on stalks from leaf axils, pea-flower shaped, 1/2 inch long; 5 sepals fused into a tube 1/8 inch long, topped with 5 linear lance-like teeth, 1/16 to 1/3 inch long; petals 1/2 inch long, the banner sometimes tinged red.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
3 to 5 leaflets per leaf with almost no stem; leaflets are lance-like, 1/8 to 1 inch long and 1/16 to 1/4 inch wide.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Pods linear, 3/4 to 1 inch long and 1/4 inch wide, straight or slightly curved near the tip, sparsely covered with white, straight, flat hairs; containing 6 to 12 seeds.