Trees or large shrubs. Leaves spirally arranged, often distichous, abruptly pinnate; rachis and petioles without glands; leaflets opposite, without stipels. Flowers in terminal panicles on main shoots or racemes on short side shoots; pedicels with 2 bracteoles at or shortly above base. Calyx 5-merous; sepals reflexed at anthesis. Corolla zygomorphic; petals 5. Stamens 10; filaments of 3 abaxial antesepalous stamens sigmoidally curved, usually longer than their anthers, dehiscent by slits; remaining 7 filaments straight and short, with anthers mostly dehiscent by basal pores. Legume elongate, cylindric or compressed, indehiscent. Seeds numerous, 1- or 2-seriate; funicle filiform.

Because of insufficient materials for comparison, Cassia lancangensis Y. Y. Qian (Acta Bot. Austro Sin. 6: 23. 1990) could not be treated here.

About 30 species: tropical regions; two species (one introduced) in China.