| Dichrostachys | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dichrostachys cinerea | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Dichrostachys (DC.) Wight & Arn. (1834) |
| Species | |
16; see text | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
CaillieaGuill. & Perr. (1833) | |
Dichrostachys is an Old World genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. Their Acacia -like leaves are bi-pinnately compound. Unlike Acacia their thorns are hardened branchlets rather than modified stipules. They are native from Africa to Australasia, but a centre of diversity is present in Madagascar. [2]
Their name is derived from the Greek words dis (two), chroos (colour) and stachys (grain ear or spike), which in combination suggests their bi-colored inflorescences. [2]
