Arillaria Kurz; Fedorovia Yakovlev; Layia Hooker & Arnott (1833), not Hooker & Arnott ex Candolle (1838, nom. cons.); Macroule Pierce; Ormosiopsis Ducke; Podopetalum F. Mueller; Ruddia Yakovlev; Toulichiba Adanson; Trichocyamos Yakovlev.

Trees or shrubs; buds naked or subtended by stipules. Leaves alternate, rarely subopposite, imparipinnate, paripinnate, or rarely simple (1-foliolate); stipules usually small or inconspicuous, rarely lacking; leaflets (1-)3-11(-19), opposite, often leathery or thickly papery; stipels usually absent. Inflorescences paniculate or racemose, axillary or terminal. Bracts small, caducous. Calyx campanu­late; teeth 5, unequal, upper 2 connate. Corolla white, yellow, lavender, or purple, longer than calyx; petals clawed; standard subor­bicular; wings and keel oblique, obovate-oblong, keel petals free. Stamens 10, exserted, free or only slightly basally connate, sub­equal, incurved; anthers small, versatile, undeveloped or degenerate on a few filaments. Ovary subsessile; ovules 1 to many; style long, filiform, incurved; stigma oblique or terminal. Legumes woody or leathery, 2(or 3)-valved, rarely indehiscent, ovate to oblong or obovate, laterally compressed to nearly cylindric; valves internally septate between seeds or without septae; sutures without wings; calyx persistent or deciduous. Seeds 1 to many, red, scarlet, brown, or black, sometimes 2-toned; hilum seldom over 1/2 length of seed, white; cotyledon often fleshy.

Ormosia monosperma (Swartz) Urban was reported for Taiwan by F. C. Ho (J. Taiwan Mus. 36(2): 1-5. 1983), but the species is not known as an escape, only as a cultivated ornamental.

The Asian species of Ormosia are in need of a complete revision.

About 130 species: tropical America, SE Asia, N Australia; 37 species (34 endemic) in China.

(Authors: Sun Hang (孙航); Michael A. Vincent)