Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Herbs or shrubs, pubescent usually at least in part with 2–branched hairs.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound (odd-pinnate, trifoliate or unifoliate). Alternate. Leaflets alternate or subopposite. Petiolate. Stipules present, usually small and setaceous. Leaflets stipels present.

Flowers: Flowers in axillary racemes or sometimes panicles, bracts caducous. Flowers papilionaceous; bracteoles absent. Calyx campanulate, 5-toothed, subequal or the lowest one longer. Corolla variously colored, usually red or pink, caducous, standard longer than broad, keel petals erect, gibbous or spurred on each side. Stamens 10; upper stamen distinct, the other 9 connate into a tube; anthers usually with explosive pollen release, apiculate, sometimes with a tuft of hairs and/or an apical gland. Ovary superior; style 1, apical; ovules (1)2 to numerous.

Fruit: Pods linear to ovoid; terete (cylindrical) to tetragonal or compressed; septate between the seeds; dehiscent or indehiscent; usually descending. Seeds (1)2 to numerous; globose to ellipsoid; cylindrical; or quadrangular.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range: