Haematoxylum

Trees or shrubs, unarmed or armed with spine-tipped abbreviated lateral shoots. Leaves simply paripinnate or with lower jugae bipinnate; a few leaflet pairs usually obcordate; stipules sometimes spinescent, sometimes caducous. Inflorescence an axillary or terminal raceme. Flowers bisexual, irregular. Calyx eglandular or sometimes covered with many small, stalked glands, with short, sometimes campanulate tube; lobes 5, imbricate slightly unequal, one boat-shaped. Petals 5, obovate or oblong, slightly unequal, imbricate. Stamens 10, free, sometimes unequal; filaments pilose at base; anthers often elliptic. Ovary shortly stalked, 2- or 3-ovuled; style with small, terminal, sometimes hollow stigma. Pod compressed, lanceolate or oblong, flattened, membranous, splitting longitudinally almost along middle of each valve. Seeds transversely oblong. x= 12.