Unarmed trees, of small or moderate size. Leaves pinnate, generally caducous-stipulate, with 2 to many leaflets (in Panamanian species a single pair); leaflets small or large, coriaceous or almost so, often unequal basally. Inflorescence usually racemose, terminal to axillary on older wood, bracteate but the bracts generally caducous. Flowers small to moderate, ensheathed to a greater or lesser extent by the (2) fused bracteoles, this bracteolar sheath cleft on one side; receptacular por-tion of calyx short; calyx-lobes 4 or rarely 5, slender, imbricate; visible petal 1, large, clawed to subsessile, folded-cucullate in bud, other petals squamiform or lacking; perfect stamens 3, elongate, free, in some species with up to 7 accompany-ing staminodia; ovary 2-to many-ovulate, subsessile to stipitate, the stipe or base of ovary adnate to the receptacle on one side; style slender, with a terminal small or capitate stigma. Legume flattened, 2-valved, small, orbicular to oblong; seeds 1 to few, large, ovate to orbicular.
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