Greek keratos — horn, referring to the horn-like pods.

Thornless evergreen shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, odd-pinnate with few leaflets; stipules small, soon shed. Flower clusters catkin-like on the old wood. Flowers small, mostly unisexual, the sexes on different plants; autumn. Sepals soon shed. Petals absent. Stamens 5, with free filaments. Fruit pods 10-20 cm long, about 2 cm wide, indehiscent, flattened, woody, dark brown.

Grown for the neat habit and foliage, and for carob beans.

1-2 species from the Mediterranean, Arabia and Somalia.

Seed or cuttings.

Widely cultivated worldwide for fodder and the carob beans.

Evergreen trees; flowers without petals; stamens 5.

Isely (1975).

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Caesalpiniaceae. 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.