Herbs or subshrubs, erect, prostrate or climbing. Leaves stipulate, stipules persistent, not prolonged below the point of insertion; pinnately trifoliolate, rarely unifoliolate. Inflorescence axillary, falsely racemose, the flowers in fascicles along the rachis; bracts and bracteoles present. Calyx 5-lobed, 2-lipped; upper lip emarginate, bifid, lower lip 3-lobed. Vexillum round, auriculate, with 2 appendages or with only slight appendages at the side of the claw and a transverse constriction above or with none; wings often following the spiral of the keel; keel often narrow, elongated, the apex beaked and forming the spiral of 1-5 complete turns. Stamens diadelphous, 9+1; anthers subuliform or 5 dorsifixed alternating with 5 basifixed. Ovary 2-many ovuled; style tenuous below, the upper part artilaginous and thickened, curved through 360º, the upper portion glabrous or hairy inside; stigma oblique on the inner side of the style apex or sometimes terminal and subterminal, not penicillate. Pod linear or oblong, compressed or subcylindrical, sometimes beaked. Seeds 3-many, oblong or reniform.