Erect flower clusters of pea-like flowers top stems of alternate, palmately compound leaves.
Erect perennial covered in short appressed hairs. Leaves palmately compound, 5 to 10 silvery green leaflets. Pea-like blue, white or purplish flowers arranged in showy spike-like clusters up to 8 inches long, banner petals with scattered or no hairs.
Habitat
Found in montane and open coniferous forests.
Flower Characteristics
The upper petal sometimes has a yellow to white spot and usually long, soft-silky hairs in the center of the back of the petal, upper keel margins hairy, lower keel margins not hairy; flowers to 1/2 inch long, borne in long terminal clusters.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Green above with short hairs, lighter green with more hairs beneath; to 3 inches wide and long; palmately divided, with 5 to 10 leaflets.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Pod is up to 1 inch long, flattened and very hairy; usually constricted between the seeds.
2 to 6 light brown seeds are produced in the pod.