Plant: Perennial, tufted or matted, generally spiny, strigose; hairs attached by base or on side; Stem < 3 dm Leaves: generally compound, alternate, stipuled, 2-26 mm, odd-1-pinnate; stipules sometimes like leaflets, generally minutely spine-tipped, at least lower fused around stem into sheath; leaflets 3-9, 1-17 mm, linear or narrowly lanceolate, ± spine-tipped INFLORESCENCE: raceme, axillary; flowers 1-3 Flowers: bilateral; calyx 5-lobed; petals white to pink-purple, banner outside wings in bud, 3.9-9.2 mm, recurved ± 45 degrees, keel 2.9-6.3 mm; 9 filaments fused, 1 free; ovary (and fruit) generally sessile, style slender, stigma minute Fruit: legume, 4-9 mm, 1.5-4 mm wide, compressed side-to-side, finely hairy; sutures prominent; chamber 1; Seeds 2-many, smooth, hard, compressed, ± notched at attachment scar Misc: Open areas, clay, gravel, talus, rock; 2280-3660 m.