Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.76.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Brachystegia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 10 studied; ca. 30 in genus.
Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 5–30 cm long; 2–11 cm wide; 0.5–1 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 to curved; not plicate; not twisted; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; oblong; with 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near apex; not inflated; flattened; without beak; long tapered at apex to tapered at apex (short); aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit to oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; rounded at base; straight or right angled with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; ligneous; seed chambers externally invisible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin embellished; margin with flange(s) (one on each valve, up to 8 mm wide); wing(s) absent; stipitate; with the stipe 6–20 mm long; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures (initially along ventral margin); active; with valves elastically and separately loosely enrolling, or twisting. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull to glossy, or glaucous (rarely); monochrome, or multicolored; mottled (with combinations of pink, purple, red and yellow on); brown to purple (or bluish black); with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features, or recessed features; not veined; not tuberculate; lenticular, or warty, or papillose, or scurfy (warty fruits are scurfy fruits which have become warty as a result of insect infestation); punctate; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; surface not veined; 2-layered; without balsamic vesicles; with fibers; without reniform canals; with fibers oblique over solid layer; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; brown to reddish brown; smooth and spongy (usually smooth under seed and spongy around seed); without adhering pieces of testa; subseptate to nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–11; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–1.5 mm long; of 1 length only; flattened; straight. Aril absent.
Seed: 10–35 mm long; 7.5–30 mm wide; 3–5 mm thick; not overgrown; angular, or not angular; symmetrical; ovate to circular, or quadrangular; flattened; with surface smooth; without visible 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 to dull (occasionally cuticle thick and whitish); not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; reddish brown; glabrous; smooth, or not smooth; with elevated features; rugose, or warty (minutely); osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–2.5 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons smooth; both outer faces convex; both the same thickness; both more or less of equal length; not folded; margin entire 180 degrees from base of radicle; similar at apex; completely concealing radicle, or partially concealing radicle (only tip exposed); notched at radicle, or entire over radicle; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; parallel to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; centered between cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.
Tribe Detarieae
Bruneau et al. (2000) carried out extensive phylogenetic analyses of tribes Amherstieae and Detarieae. They concluded that they form a single monophyletic group. Therefore, they supported Polhill's (1995a, 1995b) decision to unite the two tribes.