Caesalpiniaceae - Senna family

Trees or shrubs, less often climbers or herbs. Leaves usually 1-pinnate, less often simple or 2-pinnate. Inflorescences usually of spikes or panicles of racemes, rarely of spikes or capitate; racemes sometimes condensed to umbel-like fascicles. Flowers usually ± zygomorphic. Sepals usually free, sometimes ± connate. Petals imbricate in bud, usually with the dorsal within and overlapped by the lateral, free or sometimes connate below, usually 5, sometimes reduced to 1 or 0. Stamens usually 10 or fewer (rarely numerous), free or ± connate below. Pods various. Seeds generally without areoles.

Worldwide: 153 genera and 2,175 species, mostly tropical.