SOPHORA, in botany: A genus of plants belonging to the class of decandria, and to the order of monogynia; and in the natural system arranged under the 32d order, Papilionaceæ. The calyx is quinquedentate and gibbous above: the corolla is papilionaceous; the wings being of the same length with the vexillum: the seed is contained in a legumen. There are 16 species; the tetraptera, microphylla, flavescens, alopecuroides, tomentosa, occidentalis, capensis, aurea, japonica, genistoides, australis, tinctoria, alba, lupinoides, biflora, and hirsuta.