Unarmed evergreen trees. Leaves paripinnate; stipules connate into a ± elongate persistent intrapetiolar scale which is biapiculate to rounded at apex; petiolules twisted; leaflets opposite, in 2–5 pairs, petiolulate, unequal-sided at base, without translucent gland-dots. Flowers in compact terminal corymbose panicles; bracteoles 2, well-developed, valvate, completely enclosing the flower-buds, persistent. Hypanthium shortly cup-shaped. Sepals 4, unequal, the posticous one larger than the others and 2-toothed at apex. Petals 5, bluish-mauve; the upper one relatively very large, 2 lateral ones much smaller, the 2 lower ones minute. Stamens 9, their filaments unequally connate at base; normally 3 anticous ones large, well-developed, fertile, and 6 posticous ones reduced, staminodial. Ovary long-stipitate, tomentellous; ovules ± 6–8; style elongate, glabrous above; stigma abruptly enlarged, reniform-peltate. Pod dehiscing (initially at least along upper suture only) into 2 flattened woody valves without obvious transverse nerves; upper suture with a narrow wing-like ridge along each side. Seeds large, hard, ± compressed, on short funicles; each side marked with a large areole whose continuous margin is a small but abrupt change in level of the surface of the seed (the areole being slightly sunken in relation to the adjacent surface).
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