Subfamily: Faboideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 3.9.06.
Tribe: Indigofereae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 3 studied; 4 in genus.
Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 3.5–5 cm long; 0.4–1.8 cm wide; 0.4–0.5 cm thick; 2–9 times longer than wide; with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with deciduous calyx; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight (or nearly so); not plicate; not twisted; symmetrical; linear (to somewhat falcate); not inflated; compressed; with beak; straight; with solid beak the same color and texture as fruit; short tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; short tapered at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous; seed chambers externally visible, or invisible; seed chambers with the raised seed chambers not torulose; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; nonstipitate; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; apical and down; passive. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; light to dark brown to tan to black; with surface texture uniform; pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; with 1 type of pubescence; puberulent; with pubescence gray; with pubescence uniformly distributed; with complex hairs; with T-shaped hairs; pliable; with hair bases plain; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features and recessed features; not veined; not tuberculate; wrinkled; longitudinally grooved; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; thin; surface not veined; 1-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; solid; coriaceous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; septate; with septa thicker than paper, firm; with septa eglandular; chartaceous; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; without wings. Seed(s) 4–7; length parallel with fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.5–1 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril present, or absent; dry; when dry tongue-aril; entire; tan.
Seed: 3–4 mm long; 3–3.4 mm wide; 1.8–2.8 mm thick; overgrown, 1 seed filling entire fruit cavity; angular to not angular; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; circular, or elliptic, or rectangular; compressed; with surface grooved; longitudinal and transverse (C. seneganlensis J.B.A. Guillemin & G.S. Perrottet); with visible radicle and cotyledon lobes; 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; dull; not modified by a bloom; colored, or clear (C. tetragonoloba); monochrome, or bichrome (brown and dark brown); black, or brown (greenish), or cream, or green, or tan, or yellow; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features, or recessed features; shagreen; grooved (4 parallel grooves on each face of C. seneganlensis); coriaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible, or fully concealed; concealed by aril; with faboid split; with the lips of the faboid split the same color as the rest of the hilum; punctiform; marginal according to radicle tip; flush; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens discernible, or not discernible; with margins curved; circular; not in groove of raphe; confluent with hilum; mounded; dissimilar color from testa; darker than testa; black; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm present; thick; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; covering entire embryo; adnate to embryo. Cotyledons smooth; both outer faces convex; both the same thickness; both more or less of equal length; with both folded; sufficiently folded for inner face to touch itself, or not sufficiently folded for inner face to touch itself (just base); portions of inner folded face unequal; margin entire 180 degrees from base of radicle; differing at apex (1 concealed by overarching radicle and other auriculate and concealing radicle); partially concealing radicle (depending on the cotyledon), or not concealing radicle (depending on the cotyledon); entire over radicle, or split over radicle; without lobes, or with lobes; with lobes not touching; without basal groin formed by lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; tan; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis deflexed; oblique to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; linear; lobe tip straight; deflexed and parallel to cotyledon width; not centered between cotyledons (radicle outside 1 cotyledon and inside other, therefore junctions for each cotyledon different); 1/2 to nearly length of cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.