diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index 793ff56cfcf9..499c221bb5c9 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ def legend(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        handles : sequence of (`.Artist` or tuple of `.Artist`), optional
+        handles : list of (`.Artist` or tuple of `.Artist`), optional
             A list of Artists (lines, patches) to be added to the legend.
             Use this together with *labels*, if you need full control on what
             is shown in the legend and the automatic mechanism described above
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.pyi
index 1bfca8fc333d..0a70e575dfc4 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.pyi
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.pyi
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import matplotlib.streamplot as mstream
 
 import datetime
 import PIL.Image
-from collections.abc import Callable, Sequence
+from collections.abc import Callable, Iterable, Sequence
 from typing import Any, Literal, overload
 import numpy as np
 from numpy.typing import ArrayLike
@@ -57,11 +57,11 @@ class Axes(_AxesBase):
     @overload
     def legend(self) -> Legend: ...
     @overload
-    def legend(self, handles: Sequence[Artist | tuple[Artist, ...]], labels: Sequence[str], **kwargs) -> Legend: ...
+    def legend(self, handles: Iterable[Artist | tuple[Artist, ...]], labels: Iterable[str], **kwargs) -> Legend: ...
     @overload
-    def legend(self, *, handles: Sequence[Artist | tuple[Artist, ...]], **kwargs) -> Legend: ...
+    def legend(self, *, handles: Iterable[Artist | tuple[Artist, ...]], **kwargs) -> Legend: ...
     @overload
-    def legend(self, labels: Sequence[str], **kwargs) -> Legend: ...
+    def legend(self, labels: Iterable[str], **kwargs) -> Legend: ...
     @overload
     def legend(self, **kwargs) -> Legend: ...