苦马豆属 ku ma dou shu

Authors: Hang Sun & Kai Larsen

Shrubs, small, or perennial herbs, glabrous or with pallid appressed hairs. Leaves imparipinnate; stipules small; leaflets 3 to numerous, entire, estipellate. Racemes axillary. Calyx teeth subequal or upper 2 connivent. Corolla red; standard orbicular, reflexed at margins; wings falcate-oblong; keel inrolled and blunt at apex. Stamens diadelphous; anthers homomorphic. Ovary long stipitate; ovules numerous; style incurved, adaxially longitudinally barbate; stigma terminal, capitate or oblique. Legume inflated, subgla­brous, nearly indehiscent, with long stalk at base, ventral suture slightly sunken, segments membranous or leathery. Seeds numerous, reniform; funicle filiform. x = 8.

Two species: mainly in C, E, and SW Asia and Siberia; one species in China.

Lower Taxon

• Sphaerophysa salsula (Pallas) Candolle