链荚木属 lian jia mu shu

Diphaca Loureiro.

Shrubs. Stipules triangular-spiculiform, free, not spurred, slightly connate at base, persistent. Leaves subfasciculate on short lat­eral branches, imparipinnate; leaflets alternate, subsessile. Inflorescences sparse racemes or reduced to 1 or 2 flowers on lateral shoots; bracts paired, persistent. Flowers large. Bracteoles similar to bracts. Hypanthium short. Calyx campanulate, membranous, 5-lobed; abaxial 3 lobes lanceolate and ± as long as tube, adaxial 2 lobes triangular and short. Corolla yellow, longer than calyx; standard suborbicular, with 2 appendages at base, without auricles; keels conspicuously inflexed, without a beak. Stamens diadel­phous (5+5); anthers uniform. Ovary linear, with many ovules; style filiform, inflexed; stigma terminal, small. Legume a loment (but articulations developing late), linear to oblong, inflated, shortly stipitate, rugose, glabrous or with coarse soft prickles, divided into several articles, indehiscent. Seeds 1 per article.

About 20 species: tropics of E Hemisphere; one species (introduced) in China.

Lower Taxon

• Ormocarpum cochinchinense (Loureiro) Merrill