Subfamily: Faboideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 3.10.20.
Tribe: Phaseoleae.
Subtribe: Diocleinae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 2 studied; 3 in genus.
Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 6–10 cm long; 1.5–2.3 cm wide; 0.2–0.5 cm thick; 2–9 times longer than wide; with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with persistent calyx, or deciduous calyx; with calyx shorter than fruit; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; oblong, or harp-shaped, or irregular; with 1 straight and 1 curved suture, or both sutures unequally curved, or both sutures nearly straight; widest near apex; not inflated; compressed; without beak; truncate at apex, or blunt at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit, or oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; tapered at base, or short tapered at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous; seed chambers externally visible; seed chambers with the raised seed chambers not torulose; margin constricted, or not constricted; margin slightly constricted along both margins; margin without sulcus; margin plain, or embellished; margin with thickened sutural areas; wing(s) absent; nonstipitate; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; apical and down; active; with valves twisting. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; brown; with surface texture uniform; pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; with 1 type of pubescence; puberulent to tomentose; with pubescence golden, or brown; with pubescence uniformly distributed; with simple hairs; pliable; with hair bases plain; eglandular; not veined; not tuberculate; with cracks, or without cracks; cracking oblique to fruit length; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; thin; surface not veined; 1-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without reniform canals; solid; (sub-) ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; yellow; smooth and floury-filamentous; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; exfoliating in part; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; without wings. Seed(s) 6–7; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.5–10.5 mm long; of 1 length only; flattened; curved. Aril present; dry; when dry partial rim-aril; fimbriate; cream, or brown (dark).
Seed: 8.4 mm long; 6 mm wide; 2.5 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; ovate, or reniform (Maxwell, 1977Maxwell, 1977:
Maxwell RH. 1977. A resume of the genus Cleobulia (Leguminosae) and its relation to the genus Dioclea. Phytologia 38(1):51&-65.)); compressed; with surface smooth; without visible radicle and cotyledon lobes, or with visible radicle and cotyledon lobes (rarely); without external groove between radicle and cotyledon lobes; without hilar sinus; without umbo on seed faces; without medial ridge on each face. Cuticle not exfoliating; not inflated; not wrinkled. Testa present; without pieces of adhering epicarp; not adhering to endocarp; free from endocarp; glossy; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; brown; glabrous; smooth; coriaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible; with faboid split; with the lips of the faboid split lighter colored than the rest of the hilum and therefore conspicuous; larger than punctiform; 6–8.5 mm long; with straight outline; linear; marginal according to radicle tip; slightly raised; within rim; rim color darker than testa. Lens discernible; 0.6 mm long; with margins straight; wedge-shaped; not in groove of raphe; confluent with hilum; mounded; dissimilar color from testa; darker than testa; black; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons not smooth; convoluted; both outer faces convex; both the same thickness; both more or less of equal length; not folded; margin not entire 180 degrees from base of radicle; notched; similar at apex; completely concealing radicle; entire over radicle; without lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; tan to brown; inner face flat and wavy (in different areas); glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; almost perpendicular to length of seed; with a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; linear; lobe tip straight; deflexed and parallel to cotyledon width; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.