FABACEAE  

Unarmed trees or shrubs. Leaves bipinnate, a conspicuous gland often present at junction of lowest pair of pinnae, petiole and rachis otherwise eglandular or rarely with glands between other pairs of pinnae; pinnae each with one to many pairs of leaflets. Inflorescence capitate, pedunculate, axillary, 1-3 together, often racemosely aggregated. Flowers bisexual, sessile. Calyx gamosepalous, 5-toothed. Petals 5, free, pubescent or glabrous outside. Stamens 10, free, fertile; anthers mostly eglandular apically. Ovary pubescent or sometimes glabrous. Pod oblong or linear-oblong, usually thinly subcoriaceous, compressed, dehiscing into 2 nonrecurving valves. Seeds lying +/- transversely in pod, compressed, brown, smooth, unwinged. x= 13, 14 ( polyploidy, B-chromosomes).

Perennial herbs; shrubs or shrublets; woody rhizomes bearing 1-many virgate, aerial stems. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; leaflets entire, often mucronate, terminal often longer than lateral ones; stipules often small, persistent. Flowers borne in pairs, each pair subtended by 2 series of bracts, second series usually paired; bracteoles 2, at base of calyx. Calyx campanulate, persistent in fruit, lobes subequal, upper 2 more connate than the others. Petals: vexillum clawed; wings falcate-oblong, free or scarcely adherent to keel; keel obtuse or beaked, not laterally appendaged. Stamens diadelphous; anthers uniform. Ovary 1-ovulate; style filiform, incurved, persistent in fruit; stigma small, terminal. Pod ovate or orbicular, reticulate, indehiscent. Seeds compressed, suborbicular. x= 9, 10, 11 ( polyploidy).

Herbs, erect or climbing. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; stipules reflexed, persistent; stipels lanceolate. Flowers in axillary racemes longer than leaves; rachis swollen at insertion of pedicels; bracts caducous. Calyx with campanulate tube longer than lobes, bilabiate; upper lip entire, emarginate, lower 3-lobed. Petals: vexillum usually reflexed, auriculate at base, with 2 callosities on inner face; wings longer than keel; keel beaked, incurved at right angle. Stamens 10, vexillary filament free, others connate into sheath; anthers uniform. Ovary surrounded by lobed disc; several-ovuled; style incurved at right angle, flattened laterally, with soft hairs towards top of adaxial face; stigma terminal. Pod obliquely oblong-falcate, beaked by persistent style, sometimes with upper margin verrucose. Seeds slightly compressed, dark brown, with a white aril more than half their length. x= 11.

Unarmed evergreen or deciduous trees. Leaves paripinnate; leaflets in one to many opposite pairs, +/- markedly asymmetric basally, venation prominent on both surfaces, translucent dots often present but sometimes 0; petiolules usually twisted; stipules intrapetiolar, always connate below, bicuspidate above or with 2 relatively large foliaceous lobes simulating free stipules, +/- persistent or rapidly deciduous. Inflorescence a terminal usually much-branched panicle. Flowers bisexual, irregular; bracteoles 2, well developed, valvate, completely enclosing flower buds, persistent, keeled down back. Sepals 5, well developed, equal or nearly so in length, ciliate; calyx tube 0. Petals 5, equal or nearly so in length, all subequal and well developed, 1 large and 4 small, or all small. Stamens 10, fertile; 9 filaments shortly united below, the tenth free. Ovary very shortly stipitate, densely pubescent; stipe free; ovules up to 5; style elongate; stigmas capitate, abruptly enlarged. Pod compressed, 1-seeded, elastically dehiscing into 2 woody valves; valves obliquely transversely nerved; upper suture usually with a laterally projecting wing or ridge. Seed compressed, exareolate, with a hard testa, borne on short funicles. x= 12.

Annual or perennial herbs, covered with biramous hairs. Leaves 1-17-foliolate; leaflets opposite or alternate, entire; stipules adnate to base of petiole, subulate or falcate-lanceolate. Flowers pink, in axillary, many-flowered racemes, dense initially, becoming lax later; bracts caducous. Calyx usually with shallowly campanulate tube; lobes equal or longer than the tube. Petals: vexillum narrow at base, tapering to the claw, glabrous; keel with lateral pouches, apex prolonged rostrate. Stamens diadelphous, all fertile; vexillary stamen free; anthers glabrous, hyaline scales at base reduced or 0. Ovary usually sessile; stigma oblique or capitate. Pod reflexed, 4-20-seeded, terete or laterally compressed, linear, straight or curved. Seeds quadrate.