Plant: Perennial, tufted, ± stless; hairs dense, whitish Leaves: generally compound, alternate, stipuled, 3-10 cm, odd-1-pinnate; leaflets 7-15, 3-14 mm, ± oblanceolate, tips ± acute; stipules membranous, sometimes fused around stem at stem base INFLORESCENCE: raceme, axillary; flowers 3-10, ascending Flowers: bilateral; calyx 5-lobed, 18-24 mm; petals scarlet, banner outside wings in bud, 35-41 mm, recurved 20-30 degrees, keel 35-40 mm; 9 filaments fused, 1 free; ovary (and fruit) generally sessile, style slender, stigma minute Fruit: legume, 25-40 mm, 10-12 mm wide, plump, ± narrowly ovoid in side view, often curved, ± strongly compressed top-to-bottom, early fleshy, then leathery, hairs dense, shaggy, white or tawny; chamber 1; Seeds 2-many, smooth, compressed, ± notched at attachment scar Misc: Gravelly places, generally sagebrush scrub or pinyon woodland; 750-2450 m.; Mar-Jun