Herbs or shrubs. Leaf stipulate, imparipinnate, leaflets numerous, entire, exstipellate. Flowers yellow, in axillary clusters or 1-2 in the axils. Bracts small, bracteoles absent. Calyx gamosepalous, 2 upper teeth ± connate. Vexillum suborbicular, keel incurved, beaked. Stamens diadelphous, 9+1, alternate filaments slightly dilated at the apex, anthers uniform. Fruit laterally compressed, upper margin deeply excavated at each seed, joints horse-shoe shaped; seeds arcuate.

A genus with 12 species, distributed in Europe, Mediterranean region, N. Africa, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Arabia and Pakistan; represented locally by 1 species.

Lower Taxon

• Hippocrepis constricta Kunze