Shrub or shrublets, often climbing. Leaves pinnate, leaflets many paired; rachis bristle tipped. Racemes lateral. Calyx truncate, teeth very short, upper 2 subconnate. Vexillum ovate, clawed, wing narrowly falcate, oblong. Keel bigger than wings. Stamens 9, adnate into a sheath, vexillary stamen absent, anthers uniform. Ovary subsessile, ovules many. Fruit plano-compressed, 2 valved, subseptate within between the seeds. Seeds subglobose or ellipsoid, sometimes red and black.

A genus with c.15 species, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, locally represented by 1 species.

Lower Taxon

• Abrus precatorius Linn.

Related Synonym(s):

• Glycine abrus Linn. = Abrus precatorius Linn.