genus descriptions: SSTAs

Scandent shrubs or lianes up to 40 m long; branches pubescent to glabrescent. Leaves unifoliolate, ovate-elliptic to ovate, cuneate to subcordate at base, coriaceous, glabrous above, softly silky-pubescent to glabrescent below; stipules ovate, cordate at base, caducous; stipes absent. Inflorescences axillary or terminal cymes, unequally dichotomous; or flowers sometimes arranged in pseudopanicles; bracts ovate to suborbicular, persistent or caducous. Flowers bisexual; pedicel with 2 bract-like bracteoles at apex completely enveloping flower bud. Calyx campanulate with 5 short, unequal +/- triangular teeth. Corolla exserted; standard suborbicular with short claw at base, emarginated at apex; wings obliquely oblongish; keel of petals resembling wings, cohering along proximal margin. Stamens 10, free, subequal; anthers oblongish-linear. Ovary sessile, narrowing into a slightly incurved style; stigma small, capitate; ovules 2 or 3. Pod oblong, tapering towards both ends, flattened, coriaceous, dehiscent. Seeds 2 or 3, lenticular.

Tall, woody, much-branched climbers. Leaves imparipinnate, 2(3)-jugate, rather large; leaflets oblong-elliptic to suborbicular, shortly acuminate, glossy above, coriaceous, silvery whitish green underneath. Inflorescences ample, many-flowered, terminal or axillary panicles; bracts and bracteoles very small, soon deciduous. Flowers fragrant. Calyx bilabiate; lobes subequal, entire. Corolla : petals slightly imbricate but not joined; vexillum broadly obovate, emarginate, bicallose at base, reflexed when flower has expanded, claw short; wings broad, free; carina broad, obtuse. Stamens diadelphous; vexillar stamen free; anthers drooping. Ovary almost sessile, 3- or 4-ovulate, surrounded at base by a 10-lobed disc; style short; stigma small. Pod narrowly oblong, tapering gradually towards base, narrowing abruply at tip, woody at maturity and with many small, +/- transverse grooves. Seeds 1-5, large, flattened, dark red.

Subshrubs or small shrubs with well-developed rootstocks. Leaves unifoliolate, frequently developing after flowers have appeared; petioles nearly always conspicuously winged, often so much so as to appear like a second lower leaf blade, rarely not winged; stipules striate, ciliate; stipels present. Inflorescences on leafy or leafless shoots, terminal or axillary, falsely racemose or paniculate; primary and secondary bracts present; bracteoles absent; flowers readily disarticulating with their pedicels. Calyx 5-lobed, 2-lipped; upper lip +/- bifid, composed of 2 teeth connate for most of their length; lower lip prominently trifid, central lobe the longest. Corolla mostly medium-sized, white to purple; standard rounded, produced into a claw at base, sometimes puberulous outside when young; wings clawed, transversely rugose inside, usually shorter than other petals; keel usually as long as the standard. Stamens : vexillary filament free at base and apex but connate with main tube for one-third to half of its length; free parts of filaments dissimilar, 4 short and filiform, 5 much dilated, longer and pincer-shaped at insertion of anther; anthers uniform. Intrastaminal disc short. Ovary stipitate, 2-many-ovuled; style filiform but slightly stiffened, curved, glabrous above narrowed hairy apex of ovary; stigma terminal, capitate. Pods usually markedly stipitate (stipe often plumose), 1-several-jointed, pubescent. Seeds compressed-reniform; hilum minute, without appendages.

Trees or shrubs. Leaves paripinnate with 2-4 pairs of usually opposite, elliptic to lanceolate, asymmetric, entire leaflets. Inflorescences short, dense racemes, axillary or on old wood, solitary or 2 or 3 together; bracts and bracteoles ovate, short, caducous. Calyx tubular, with 4 broad, imbricate lobes, reflexed in open flower. Petals 5, subequal. Stamens 10; filaments long-exserted, somewhat unequal, sometimes slightly fused at base. Ovary stipitate with stipe fused with calyx tube up to rim; ovules 4 or 5. Pod elliptic to oblong, flattened, smooth, lightly veined.