Perennial vine with trailing or weakly twining stems. Ground cover, often controlling erosion.
Trailing to weakly twining stems; leaves of 3 leaflets; leaflets seldom less than twice as long as wide, narrow to lance-like, rounded or pointed at tip, veins often prominent beneath; no stipules; flowers yellow, small on axillary few-flowered stalks.
Habitat
Dry plains, mesas and slopes.
Flower Characteristics
Pea-like flower with sickle-shaped keel, to 1/8 inch wide, 1/4 inch long. Occurring singly or in pairs or small cluster in leaf axils.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Pinnately divided (leaflets along a stem on opposite sides) into 3 elliptical segments; leaflet to 1-1/4 inches long, leaf to 2-1/4 inches long. Leaflet margins are fringed with hairs. Leaf-like appendages at base of leaves (stipules) not present.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Flower is followed by a green, flat pea pod to 3/4 inch long.