Shrubs or trees. Leaves abruptly pinnate; leaflets 3-5 pairs, opposite, base slightly oblique, asymmetric on two sides; petiolules short; stipules caducous or late deciduous, small, subulate or narrowly triangular. Panicles terminal. Flowers showy, purplish red or pink, with large, red or white bracts at base; bracteoles small, in pairs inserted at apex or near apex on pedicels. Calyx tubular, 4-lobed; lobes imbricate, reflexed after anthesis. Petals 5: 3 at back large, obovate, long clawed; 2 in front small, reduced, scalelike or subulate. Perfect stamens 2, free or slightly connate at base; filaments elongated, reflexed in bud; anthers elliptic, opening lengthwise; staminodes 3-8, unequal in length, subulate, without anthers or with 1-3 orbicular, small, abortive anthers. Ovary compressed, oblong, stalked, stalk adnate to calyx tube, 6-14-ovuled; style filiform, long; stigma capitate, small. Legume compressed, oblong or obovoid-oblong, thickly leathery or woody, with stipe, 2-valved, valves flat or slightly curling or spirally twisted. Seeds shiny, compressed, oblong, obliquely broadly elliptic to suborbicular, margin not thickened or conspicuously thickened into a narrowly edged ring; cotyledons flat; embryo small.
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