Bossiaea

Shrubs; branches terete, angled, winged or distinctly flattened, sometimes spine-tipped. Leaves usually alternate, simple or more commonly unifoliolate, sometimes much reduced and scale-like; stipules usually small but sometimes conspicuous. Flowers 1–few in axils, occasionally pseudoracemose by suppression of leaves, subtended by a series of reddish-brown, distichous, papery scales; bract and bracteoles not or scarcely differentiated; bracteoles paired, small and persistent, or larger and caducous; upper 2 lobes of calyx usually broader, larger and more united than lower 3, the apices often diverging; standard longer to much shorter than keel; staminal sheath split open on upper side; anthers uniform, dorsifixed with a broad connective. Pods sessile or stipitate, ± flattened, the upper suture not winged but often thickened; valves separating, not or only slightly revolute, several-seeded; seeds plump, with a small hilum and a hooded cap-like aril.