Description:

• Unarmed evergreen or, in B. plurijuga, deciduous trees
• Leaves paripinnate or imparipinnate; leaflets alternate, sometimes opposite, 1-5 jugate, large and coriaceous; stipules short
• Inflorescences of terminal or axillary racemes
• Flowers bisexual, irregular, large, pedicellate; bracts and bracteoles present, caducous
• Sepals 4, the posticous one larger than the rest, very narrowly imbricate, densely fuscous- or paler brown-tomentellous outside
• Petals 5, free, subequal, obovate, imbricate, clawed; claw winged or crisped, sometimes with longitudinal rib
• Stamens 10, diadelphous; upper one free; remainder connate below, with alternate filaments silky-pilose below; anthers versatile, dehiscing longitudinally
• Ovary stalked or subsessile, with several ovules, densely villous; style stout, arising obliquely from ovary; stigma small, capitate
• Pod woody, widening from base upwards, obliquely pointed, densely brown-velvety, dehiscing longitudinally into 2 valves
• Seeds broadly elliptic, compressed, with apex of funicle forming small, white aril
• x = 11 (aneuploids, polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Baikiaea Benth.
  • Bentham: 581 (1865)
  • Hutchinson: 248 (1964)
  • Brenan: 108 (1967)
  • Ross: 35 (1977)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species 5, Africa
• Southern Africa: Species 1: Baikiaea plurijuga Harms, Namibia and Botswana