Sprawling vine, clings to other plants with its coiling tendrils; leaflets arranged along middle vein; elongated spikes of small whitish flowers; stubby, pointed fruit pods.
Slender, climbing stems, often tangled and matted; 10 to 16 oblong and narrow leaflets, slightly hairy; climbing tendrils; flower stems shorter than leaves; 6 to 20 3/8 inch whitish flowers on each flower stem, purple veins, purple tipped keels.
Habitat
Found in moist soils in pine forests.
Flower Characteristics
Stalk shorter than leaves; 6 to 20 flowers in each raceme (unbranched flower stem); sepal teeth much shorter than tube; corolla 1/4 to 1/2 inch long; purple-veined banner and purple tipped keels.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Numerous often matted stems; leaves divided along each side of leafstalk with tendrils at the top of the plant stem, 10 to 16 leaflets, leaflets oblong, narrow, slightly hairy.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Smooth, 3 to 10 seeded, 1 to 1-1/4 inches long, marked with smears of color or spots (mottled or patchy).
Oval to round, smooth surface, olive, brown, or black.