racemes densely many-flowered, terminating short, axillary, nearly leafless branches; rachis incrassated in fruit; vexillum nearly free; alæ shorter than the carina; legume quadrate-oblong, 2–2 1/2 times longer than broad, very oblique at base, about 5-seeded. Common throughout tropical Asia and Africa. Stems climbing, sparingly pubescent. Leaves abruptly pinnate, 10–20-jugate; leaflets oblong, blunt, pale green, glabrous above, minutely silky beneath, 4–8 lines long, 2–4 lines wide. Flowering branches axillary, longer or shorter than the leaves, very patent or divaricate, rarely quite leafless, generally with 1–2 leaves at base, and always pluri-stipulate in the lower part. Stipules subulate. Flowers red, 4–5 lines long. Legumes 1–1 1/2 inch long, 6–7 lines wide, in our specimens squamulose and pubescent, sometimes glabrous; seeds bright scarlet with a black spot round the short hilum.
