Ovary stalked. Seeds kidney-shaped. Flowers in copious panicles
composed of cymes. (See 242.) Dalbergia L. f.
Anthers attached by the back, opening by parallel longitudinal slits.
Fruit more or less oblique or curved. 353
353. Bracteoles persistent. Calyx bell-shaped, obtuse at base. Corolla
violet; standard silky outside. Ovary stalked. Ovules 1-2. Fruit
thick-leathery, crescent-shaped, not winged. Seed 1, kidney-shaped.
Small spiny trees.—Species 1. West Africa. Drepanocarpus G. F. Mey.
Bracteoles deciduous. Calyx more or less top-shaped at the base. Corolla
yellow, more rarely white marked with violet; standard glabrous.
Ovules 2-6. Fruit membranous or leathery, hardened in the middle,
more or less distinctly winged. (See 247.) Pterocarpus L.
354. (347.) Uppermost stamen united with the others in the middle, at least
when young. 355
Uppermost stamen free throughout. 361
355. Wings free from the keel. Ovules more than two. Fruit 2-valved.
Leaflets usually with stipels. 356
Wings adhering to the keel. Leaflets usually without stipels. 357
356. Flowers in axillary racemes, without bracteoles. Corolla white. Ovary
stalked, not surrounded by a disc. Style hairy at the apex. Stipules
spine-like. (See 203.) Robinia L.
Flowers in terminal racemes or panicles, with bracteoles. Corolla red,
bluish, or white. Ovary usually surrounded at the base by a disc.
Style glabrous.—Species 60. Tropical and South-east Africa. Some
species yield timber, dyes, and poison. Millettia Wight & Arn.
357. Calyx-teeth distinctly developed. Fruit dehiscing by two valves. Shrubs.
Bracteoles absent. 358
Calyx-teeth very short or wanting. Fruit indehiscent. Trees or climbing
shrubs. Bracteoles present. 359
358. Petals acuminate, red; standard lanceolate; keel beaked. Style
glabrous.—Species 10. Madagascar. Chadsia Boj.
Petals obtuse or subacute, white or red; standard suborbicular; keel
not beaked. (See 233.) Tephrosia Pers.
359. Fruit winged. Seeds flat. Ovary sessile or short-stalked. (See 351.) Derris Lour.
Fruit not winged. 360
360. Fruit with a thick-leathery, almost woody pericarp, oblique-oblong, not
thickened at the sutures. Seed 1, kidney-shaped, rather thick. Ovary
subsessile, with 2 ovules. Climbing shrubs. Flowers in racemes,
reddish.—Species 1. Seychelles. The wood and the oily seeds are
used. (Galedupa Lam.) Pongamia Vent.
Fruit with a membranous or leathery pericarp. Seeds flat. (See 303.) Lonchocarpus H. B. & K.
361. (354.) Stem shrubby, erect or climbing. 362
Stem tree-like. 371
362. Style bearded lengthwise towards the apex. Ovules numerous. Fruit
indehiscent or dehiscing at the top only. Flowers in axillary racemes. 363
Style glabrous, or hairy at the base only, or bearing a penicillate stigma. 365
363. Style bearded on the back or all round. Stigma terminal. Corolla red
or white; keel blunt, shorter than the standard. Fruit finally dehiscing
at the top. (See 340.) Lessertia DC.
Style bearded on the inner side only. Ovary stalked. Fruit inflated,
indehiscent. 364
364. Stigma terminal. Corolla red; keel pointed, exceeding the standard.
Bracteoles present.—Species 1. South Africa. Used as an ornamental
plant. Sutherlandia R. Br.
Stigma placed beneath the hooked apex of the style. Corolla yellow;
keel blunt; standard with two callosities on the inner side.—Species
2. North Africa and Abyssinia. They (especially C. arborescens L.
bladder senna) are used as ornamental plants and yield a dye and
medicaments. Colutea L.
365. Connective of the stamens bearing a gland, a short point, or a tuft of hairs.
Wings adhering to the keel. Fruit 2-valved. Hairs fixed by the
middle. Bracteoles absent. (See 215.) Indigofera L.
Connective without an appendage. Bracteoles usually present. 366
366. Ovule 1. Fruit ovate, indehiscent; pericarp adhering to the seed.
Gland-dotted plants. (See 153.) Psoralea L.
Ovules 2 or more. 367
367. Calyx 2-lipped, the upper lip hooded, notched, equalling the standard,
the lower lip divided into 3 narrow teeth. Corolla yellowish. Ovary
sessile. Ovules 5-7. Flowers in panicles, with large persistent
bracteoles.—Species 8. West Africa. Platysepalum Welw.
Calyx obscurely 2-lipped, with a not very large upper lip, or equally
4-5-toothed, or almost entire. 368
368. Wings adhering to the keel. 369
Wings free from the keel. 370
369. Calyx-teeth very short or wanting. Fruit flat, narrowly winged, transversely
chambered or 1-celled, indehiscent. Usually climbing plants.
(See 351.) Derris Lour.
Calyx-teeth distinctly developed. Fruit longitudinally 2-celled, more
rarely 1-celled, but turgid, finally dehiscing by two valves. (See
219.) Astragalus L.
370. Inflorescence axillary. Corolla yellowish. Ovary sessile. Ovules free.
Fruit leathery, suborbicular, not winged, indehiscent. Seed 1, oblong
or ovate. Climbing plants. Leaflets without stipels.—Species 3.
West Africa. Ostryocarpus Hook. fil.
Inflorescence terminal. Ovary usually surrounded by a disc. Fruit
linear or oblong, tardily dehiscing by two valves. Seeds orbicular or
reniform. (See 356.) Millettia Wight & Arn.
371. (361.) Calyx 2-lipped, with large entire lips. Corolla yellow; wings
free; petals of the keel free. Ovary subsessile, surrounded by a
lobed disc. Ovules 3-4. Bracteoles small, deciduous.—Species 1.
West Africa (Congo). Dewevrea Mich.
Calyx 2-lipped with divided lips, or more or less equally 4-5-toothed. 372
372. Calyx 2-lipped, the upper lip hooded, notched, equalling the standard,
the lower lip divided into 3 narrow teeth. Corolla yellow. Ovary
sessile. Ovules 5-7. Flowers in panicles. Bracteoles large, persistent.
(See 367.) Platysepalum Welw.
Calyx obscurely 2-lipped, with a not very large upper lip, or equally
4-5-toothed, or almost entire. 373
373. Fruit dehiscing by two valves. 374
Fruit indehiscent. Ovules 2-6. 375
374. Leaflets alternate, gland-dotted on the lower face. Petals gland-dotted.
Ovary long-stalked. Ovules 3-4. Fruit woody, turgid.—Species 2.
Central Africa. Schefflerodendron Harms