Dioclea

Climbing shrubs; branches with long yellowish grey hairs. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; leaflets ovate-elliptic, rounded at base, abruptly acuminate and mucronate, thinly pilose, with 7 or 8 lateral veins on each side; stipules peltate, acute; stipels filiform. Inflorescences stiff, woody, noded racemes longer than leaves; bracts narrowly lanceolate. Calyx rusty-pubescent, with 2 upper teeth connate, lateral 2 slightly shorter than lowest one. Corolla : vexillum orbicular, reflexed, auriculate at base; wings obovate or oblong, free; carina incurved, subrostrate. Stamens 10, monadelphous but vexillary one free only at base; alternate anthers small and abortive. Ovary subsessile, adpressed-pubescent; ovules many; style incurved, glabrous, dilated upwards; stigma terminal, truncate, glabrous. Pod linear-oblong to ovate-oblong, compressed, pilose, rather woody, septate between seeds, upper suture dilated, dehiscing by 2 valves. Seeds 1-4, semi-orbicular; hilum conspicuous, narrow, encircling seed for up to 3/4 of its circumference.