Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Lianas, trees, or shrubs.

Stems: Sometimes with prickles on stems or rachises.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound (bipinnate). Alternate. Leaflets few to numerous, usually opposite, the rachis sometimes ending in a branched or forked tendril, caducous when not clasping. Petiolate. Stipules present or absent.

Flowers: Flowers in axillary or terminal spikes or racemes. Flowers mimosaceous, bisexual (perfect) or staminate. Calyx campanulate, shortly 5-toothed. Corolla of 5 petals, distinct or connate at base. Stamens 10, exserted; filaments shortly connate at base and adnate to corolla (only distinct in younger stages); anthers with a caducous apical gland. Ovary superior; ovules numerous.

Fruit: Pods often very large; straight or curved; compressed; sutures thickened; continuous in a persistent replum; the valves transversely jointed; breaking away from sutures; and splitting into 1–seeded segments; leaving the empty replum. Seeds several; elliptic or orbicular; compressed; smooth and glossy; enveloped by the endocarp of the loment.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range: