Only reaching 6-inches tall, the multiple stems radiate from the root crown and sprawl against the ground for 4–15 inches. Note the small, yellow flowers have reddish veins and grow from the leaf axils on 2 1/2-inch stalks (peduncles) that are longer than the leaflets, and the leaves have 3–6 narrow leaflets with their bases attached near each other on very short stalks (petiole). Short, flat-lying hairs cover the stem and foliage.

FLOWER: February–May. Pea-type flower with 5 petals: 1 upper banner petal and 2 side petals that cup a pointed keel made of 2 petals. Petals are yellow, often tinged red or with thin red lines and red backsides, and fade to red with age; the calyx holding the petals is red; 1–35 small, leaf-like bracts grow below the flower. Fruit is a narrow, straight to slightly curved pod, 1/2–1 inch long (15–28 mm).

LEAVES: Alternate, pinnately compound with 3–6 (usually 5) elliptic to linear leaflets, each 1/4–1/2-inch long (5–12 mm); at least one leaflet is attached slightly below the other leaflets; leaflets may appear palmate but the bases are slightly separated on the rachis.

HABITAT: Dry sandy, gravelly soils; open sandy flats, slopes, foothills; desert grasslands and scrub, pinyon-juniper woodlands.

ELEVATION: 3,500–5,000 feet.

RANGE: AZ, NM, NV, TX, UT.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Deervetch, A. wrightii, in much the same range, has leaves with all the leaflets radiating from the same point.

NM COUNTIES: In the western half of NM in low- to mid-elevation, dry habitats: Catron, Cibola, Dona Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, McKinley, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Sierra, Socorro.