Description: Herbs or shrubs.
Leaves pinnate, leaflets numerous, entire; stipules present.
Inflorescences usually axillary, simple or branched racemes, bracts and bracteoles present. Calyx usually 2-lipped, rarely with ± equal teeth. Stamens fused into 2 bundles of 5 each, rarely 1 or more free filaments, anthers uniform. Ovary stalked.
Fruit a lomentum, compressed, breaking into 2–28 indehiscent 1-seeded articles.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 150 species, tropical & subtropical regions. Aust.: c. 7 spp. (status of many of the species is unclear), all mainland States except Vic..
The record of A. sesameus L. in Jacobs and Pickard (1981) is not substantiated.
Text by G. J. Harden
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Leaves with >20 leaflets; fruit with 5–10 articles. | Aeschynomene indica |
| Leaves with usually 5–9 leaflets; fruit with 2–6 articles. | Aeschynomene brevifolia |
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