Dalbergia L. f.

Dalbergia comprises about 250 species, mainly in tropical South and Central America, Africa and Madagascar, and southern Asia (Klitgaard & Laven 2005). They are unarmed trees, shrubs and lianas, many of which are prized for their decorative and often fragrant wood (including rosewood). The leaves are alternate and imparipinnate; with stipules that are often small and caducous. The inflorescence is a terminal or axillary panicle; the bracts and bracteoles are usually small and caducous. The flowers are small and numerous; the calyx campanulate, five-toothed, the lower teeth larger than the upper teeth; the corolla white, pale green or rarely purple, the standard petal ovate, oblong or circular, the wing petals oblong and the keel petals obtuse, united above; the 9 or 10 stamens have their filaments fused, forming a single bundle or two bundles. The fruit is a flattened, indehiscent lomentum with one to many seeds (Chen & Nielsen 2006).