It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Utah, where it grows in moist spots in a number of habitat types.

It is an annual herb growing erect or spreading to about 40 cm in maximum length.

It is lined with leaves each made up of a few alternately arranged oval leaflets 1 to 2 cm long, sometimes slightly hairy in texture.

The inflorescence is made up of one or two whitish to yellowish pealike flowers located in leaf axils.

The fruit is a hairy legume pod up to about 1.5 cm long.