Subshrubs (in Victoria), perennial herbs or shrubs; stems often silky. Leaves alternate, pinnately trifoliolate; leaflets entire; stipules setaceous, persistent. Inflorescence an axillary raceme or cluster, or flowers solitary, lower flowers cleistogamous; bracts linear, persistent; bracteoles 2, inconspicuous. Calyx tube campanulate-cylindric, teeth 5, more or less equal or upper 2 partially fused; petals white, yellow, violet or pink-purple; standard oblong to orbicular, clawed; wings oblong, free or slightly adherent to keel; keel obovate, obtuse; stamens diadelphous, or rarely monadelphous, anthers uniform; ovary sessile or stalked, ovules 1, style filiform, incurved, stigma small, terminal. Pod more or less orbicular (in Victoria) or ovoid, compressed, indehiscent, sessile or shortly stalked; seed 1, flat, reniform (in Victoria) to orbicular; aril usually absent.
About 100 species, mostly in eastern Asia and North America; 2 species in Australia, 1 native and 1 introduced.