Trees with bipinnate leaves. Leaflets many paired, small, alternate. Inflorescence axillary, solitary or sometimes paired spiciform raceme. Flowers small, white or yellowish, usually bisexual. Sepals 5, connate, campanulate. Petals 5, almost distinct or connate at the base, valvate, lanceolate. Stamens 10, distinct, equalling or slightly longer than petals, anthers glandular at the apex. Ovary sessile, many ovuled, style thin, stigma capitate. Pod linear, compressed, falcate or curved or spirally twisted, torulose, dehiscing longitudinally into 2 coriaceous or subcoriaceous valves. Seeds small, thick, hard, red or red and black.

A genus with about 12 species, distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia to N. Australia and Polynesia.

Lower Taxon

• Adenanthera pavonina Linn.