The monospecific genus Steinbachiella Harms is reinstated as a distinct genus in Leguminosae, tribe Dalbergieae, based on recent collections from Bolivia. The fruits are samaras similar in appearance to those of the related genus Machaerium Pers. A combined morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests that the distally winged fruit of Steinbachiella and most Machaerium species is homologous. Nevertheless, Steinbachiella is distinct in having a unique suite of morphological characters that includes flowers in 1– 4-flowered racemes, the corollas yellow and totally glabrous, the standard petal with a deeply emarginate apex, long-stipitate ovaries and a samaroid fruit. In addition, in molecular analyses the genus is placed as sister to Machaerium and not nested within it.