木蓝族 mu lan zu

Authors: Xinfen Gao, Hang Sun & Brian D. Schrire

Shrubs or herbs, often gray or silvery with medifixed (T-shaped) trichomes. Stipules usually small. Leaves generally impari­pinnate, sometimes 3-foliolate, 1-foliolate, or leaflets absent; stipels present or absent. Flowers in axillary racemes; bracteoles absent. Corolla papilionaceous, usually reddish or purple but sometimes white or yellow. Stamens mostly diadelphous, vexillary filament free from base or rarely connate with others into a sheath split above or a closed tube; anthers uniform or dissimilar, mostly gland-tipped. Ovary with 1 to many ovules; style glabrous. Legume 2-valved, septate between seeds, rarely jointed or leathery, turgid and indehiscent. Seeds globose to rectangular, without a caruncle.

Six genera and ca. 800 species: tropical and subtropical regions worldwide but mainly in tropical Africa and Asia; two genera (one introduced) and 80 species (45 endemic, three introduced) in China.

Lower Taxa

• Cyamopsis Candolle
• Indigofera Linnaeus