Description:

• Woody shrubs or shrublets
• Leaves alternate, rarely opposite, simple, narrowly elliptic to almost circular, mostly flat, sometimes with recurved margins; petiole very short; stipules inconspicuous, often lacking
• Inflorescence axillary, 2-flowered, pedunculate and with the two flowers opposite, aggregated into synflorescences of up to 16 flowers; bracts linear to oblanceolate; bracteoles minute, often lacking
• Calyx usually narrowed to the base; upper 2 lobes fused higher up than lower 3 lobes; carinal lobe sometimes longer than the upper 4
• Corolla yellow, longer than calyx, glabrous; vexillum suborbicular to elliptic; wings oblong, longer than keel, tips imbricate; keel widely obovate, with distinct pockets, apex obtuse
• Stamens diadelphous, vexillary filament free; anthers alternately dorsifixed and subbasifixed
• Ovary 4- or more-ovuled; style slender, slightly upcurved, glabrous
• Pod somewhat compressed, usually linear, sometimes obliquely oblong, coriaceous, densely sericeous to tomentose
• Seeds 4 to many, oblong-reniform

Nomenclature:

• Xiphotheca Eckl. & Zeyh.
  • Ecklon & Zeyher: 166 (1836)
  • Schutte & Van Wyk: 43 (1993)
  • Schutte: 90 (1997)
• Priestleya DC. sect. Anisotheia DC.
  • Candolle: 91 (1825)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Species ± 9, southern Cape region, endemic to the fynbos, as far eastward as the Outeniqua Mountains