Stylosanthes Hamata

A herbaceous annual to short-lived perennial with a non-determinate, much-branched, semi-erect growth habit. It can reach 0.75 m. Stems spreading to ascending, with a dichotomously branching habit, smooth, except for a very fine line of white hairs down one side, but no bristles. Leaves trifoliate with long, narrow, shiny leaflets, the latter 4.5 to 5.3 times as long as they are wide. Stipules 4 to 6 mm long, bidentate, adnate to the base of the petiole, hairs on the sheath and teeth. Inflorescence an oblong spike, greater than 20 mm long, with 8 to 14 small yellow flowers on a long stem. Outer bracts have hairs on the edges, one outer and two inner bracts and an axis rudiment subtending each flower. Loments have two articulations, both usually fertile, the lower pilose, the upper glabrous. Beak slightly curled, equal to or shorter than the upper articulation, total length of upper pod including beak 6 to 7 mm, a few hairs on the underside of beak. Seeds medium to dark brown, 2 to 2.5 mm long, unsymmetrically reniform, radicle ends fairly prominent