Subfamily: Faboideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 3.29.03.
Tribe: Thermopsideae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 2 studied; 1 in genus, or 2 in genus.
Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 10–13 cm long (estimated); 1.5–2 cm wide; 0.3–1.3 cm thick; 2–9 times longer than wide, or more than 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 curved (slightly); not plicate; not twisted; symmetrical; broadly linear; not inflated; flattened, or compressed; without beak, or with beak; straight; with solid beak the same color and texture as fruit; tapered at apex, or rounded at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit (or nearly so); long tapered at base, or rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit (or nearly so); with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous, or ligneous (when dry); seed chambers externally visible; seed chambers with the raised seed chambers not torulose; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; stipitate; with the stipe 5–10 mm long; indehiscent. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; smooth; not veined; not tuberculate; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; thick, or thin; surface not veined; 1-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; spongy, or solid; coriaceous, or ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; brown; smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; septate; with septa thin (tissue paper-like), flexible; with septa eglandular; chartaceous; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; without wings; entire. Seed(s) 5; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus of 1 length only; straight. Aril absent.
Seed: 10–15 mm long; 7–10 mm wide; 5–6.7 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; asymmetrical; elliptic to oblong; compressed; with visible radicle and cotyledon lobes; without external groove between radicle and cotyledon lobes; 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; dark to light brown, or tan; glabrous; smooth; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe visible; from hilum through lens and terminating before base of seed; not bifurcating; darker than testa; dark reddish brown; flush. Hilum present; visible; with faboid split; with the lips of the faboid split the same color as the rest of the hilum; larger than punctiform; 2 mm long; with curved outline, or straight outline; elliptic; oblong; marginal according to radicle tip; recessed; within rim; rim color of testa. Lens discernible; 1 mm long; with margins curved; circular; not in groove of raphe; adjacent to hilum; 2 mm from hilum; barely mounded; dissimilar color from testa; darker than testa; reddish brown; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm present; thick; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; covering entire embryo; adnate to testa. 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; not concealing radicle; entire over radicle; without lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; with margin(s) recessed; yellow; 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 curved; deflexed and parallel to cotyledon length; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons. Plumule moderately developed; glabrous.
Mediterranean Europe, Asia Minor, northern Africa, and Canary Islands.
Old World; Europe to Mediterranean to Southwest Asia to Africa to Macaronesia ((Canary Islands, North, Arabia), Asia (Minor)).