Shrubs or trees, erect or sometimes decumbent, the branchlets pubescent or glabrous, aculeate or unarmed. Leaves usually large, bipinnate, the pinnae usually several, multifoliolate, both the pinnae and leaflets usually opposite; petiole normally bearing one or more sessile glands; rachis glandular or eglandular at the pinnular nodes; leaflets almost invariably small; stipules usually slender, caducous. Inflorescence of solitary or few-fasciculate, pedunculate heads or spikes, sometimes appearing paniculate by insertion at distal non-foliate nodes; floral bracts small or minute. Flowers 5-parted, sessile or subsessile; calyx more or less campanulate, the teeth commonly small, glabrous or pubescent; corolla of 5 free (or often con-nate to middle), narrow petals well exceeding the calyx, valvate; stamens nor-mally 10, free except often inserted on a short tubular base or androgynophore, exserted; anthers in all except one or two species (not Panamanian) bearing an apical gland, this usually caducous in age; ovary glabrous or pubescent, often stipitate. Legume broadly linear, flat, not curved, stipitate or sessile, membra-naceous or coriaceous, 2-valvate, the valve margins straight or constricted between the seeds; seeds compressed, exalibuminous.
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