Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs. Hairs basifixed. Leaves usually imparipinnate, rarely palmate or 1-foliolate; leaflets opposite or subopposite, often silky, entire, usually narrowed at base and widest above middle, often with a prominent marginal nerve. Flowers 2 or more together in leaf axils or at the nodes of pseudoracemes, which are sometimes condensed and appearing subcapitate or subumbellate. Calyx 5-lobed, the upper 2 lobes often ± united. Corolla usually reddish-purple; standard pubescent outside. Upper filament lightly attached to others, less often free; other filaments fused for 2/3 to 4/5 of their length. Ovary pubescent, sessile. Pod linear or oblong, ± flattened, beaked, usually dehiscent. Seeds may be longitudinal (long axis parallel to that of pod), transverse or oblique. Aril almost 0 to well-developed. Worldwide: 400 species in warm regions, mostly Africa and Australia Botswana: 20 taxa. Insects associated with this genus:
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| Species | FZ divisions | Content |
| acaciifolia Welw. ex Baker | ? | Description, Image |
| burchellii Burtt Davy | SW,SE | |
| caerulea Baker f. subsp. caerulea | N | |
| caerulea Baker f. subsp. otaviensis (Dinter) Schreiber & Brummitt | N | |
| cephalantha Welw. ex Baker var. decumbens Welw. ex Baker | N,SE | |
| dregeana E. Mey. var. dregeana | N,SW | |
| euprepes Brummitt | N | |
| longipes Meisn. var. longipes | ||
| lupinifolia DC. | N,SE | Description, Image |
| multijuga R.G.N. Young | ||
| polystachya E. Mey. | ||
| pumila (Lam.) Pers. | N | |
| purpurea (L.) Pers. subsp. leptostachya (DC.) Brummitt | N,SW,SE | Description, Image |
| purpurea (L.) Pers. subsp. leptostachya (DC.) Brummitt var. delagoensis (H.M.L. Forbes) Brummitt | N | Description |
| purpurea (L.) Pers. subsp. leptostachya (DC.) Brummitt var. pubescens Baker | N,SE | Description |
| rhodesica Baker f. var. rhodesica | SE | Description, Image |
| rhodesica Baker f. var. evansii (Hutch. & Burtt Davy) Brummitt | SE | |
| uniflora Pers. subsp. uniflora | SE | Description, Image |
| villosa (L.) Pers. subsp. ehrenbergiana (Schweinf.) Brummitt var. daviesii Brummitt | N? | Description, Image |
| zoutpansbergensis Bremek. | SE |