Greek psoraleos— scabby, referring to the glandular dots over the plant.

Scurfy perennial herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate with a terminal leaflet; stipules linear-lanceolate, fused to the leaf stalk. Leaflets 3-many, occasionally 1, entire or toothed, linear to obovate, gland-dotted below. Flowers in heads, spikes or bunches, occasionally solitary. Flowers blue, pink, purple or white, rarely yellow. Stamens in 2 series, the uppermost one generally free. Fruit pod small, ovate, not splitting open.

About 130 species from S Africa and N and S America.

Seed and semi-hardwood cuttings; herbaceous perennials by division.

P. esculenta and P. hypogaea were eaten by N American Indians and early settlers; P. macrostachys is a source of fibre; P. glandulosa and P. pinnata have medicinal properties.

Leaflets with translucent gland dots, at least below.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Fabaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.