Subfamily: Faboideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 3.6.07.
Tribe: Amorpheae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 10 studied; 38 in genus.
Fruit: A legume, or a nutlet (Barneby 1977); unilocular; 0.15–0.33 cm long; 0.13–0.26 cm wide; 0.13–0.26 cm thick; length less than twice as long as width; with persistent androecial sheath, or deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with persistent calyx; with calyx longer than fruit, or equal in length to fruit, or shorter than fruit; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; harp-shaped; with 1 straight and 1 curved suture, or both sutures unequally curved; widest near middle or D-shaped; not inflated; compressed; without beak; rounded 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 to ligneous; seed chambers externally visible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; nonstipitate; indehiscent. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; brown (with large reddish-brown glandular dots); with surface texture uniform; glabrous; glandular; with glandular dots; not smooth (because of large glandular dots); with elevated features; not veined; not tuberculate; glandular dotted; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp absent. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; more or less smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; chartaceous; not exfoliating; remaining fused to epicarp; without wings; entire. Seed(s) 1; length parallel with fruit length. Funiculus straight. Aril absent.
Seed: 1.2–2.5 mm long; 1.2–1.8 mm wide; 0.8–1.1 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; asymmetrical; reniform (like Crotalaria); compressed; 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, or partially adhering to endocarp; free from endocarp; glossy; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; olive, or tan; 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 the same color as the rest of the hilum; punctiform; between cotyledon and radicle lobe; recessed; within rim; rim color lighter than testa to darker than testa. Lens discernible; with margins straight, or curved; oblong; oblong; not in groove of raphe; adjacent to hilum; mounded; similar color as testa; darker than testa; tan (dark); not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm present; thin; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; covering entire embryo; adnate to testa. Cotyledons smooth, or not smooth (each outer face with a medial groove); 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; not concealing radicle; notched at radicle; without lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; tan; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis oblique; oblique to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; linear; lobe tip curved; oblique to cotyledons; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.
Tribe Amorpheae
Traditionally this tribe has been called Amorpheae. Reveal (1997) reported that the name Daleeae was published before the name Amorpheae. Following the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Greuter et al., 1994), the oldest name for a taxon must be used, so Reveal suggested that this tribe should called Daleeae. In 1999 Reveal (1999) reversed himself, so that the tribe remains the Amorpheae.