Habitat:

Stream and river banks, wet meadows

Location relative to water:

Rooted onshore

Leaves:

• Alternate, compound
• 5-15 cm long (2-6 inches)
• Each has 9-27 oval to ovate leaflets 1.0-4.0 cm long (0.4-1.6 inches)
• Smooth upper surface, hairy undersurface
• Petioles 2-5 cm long (1-2 inches)
• Pulvinae present

Flowers:

• Dark purple
• Dense, spikey racemes, 2-5 cm long (1-2 inches)
• Single lobed petals folded to enclose 10 stamens

Fruit:

• Oblong pod spotted with glands and curved near tip
• 0.5-0.7 cm long (0.2-0.3 inches)
• One or two seeds
• Appears June-July