A prostrate often rather thick-stemmed and tough annual or perennial herb. Stem pilose, often also finely papillose, 1–5 mm. diameter, 0.5–30 cm. long or more. Leaves alternate, petiolate; blade suborbicular to oblanceolate-obovate, rounded obtuse or bluntly subacuminate at apex, decurrent into the petiole at the base, more or less pilose on both sides, entire, 6–40 mm. long, 2–40 mm. broad; petiole 3–16 mm. long. Flowers solitary in leaf-axils or in the forks of the branches, sessile, often numerous. Calyx-lobes 5 (rarely 4) triangular, acute, yellowish inside, greenish or reddish and pilose outside. Stamens about 12–15, inserted on the calyx-tube in fascicles at the bases of the sinuses between the calyx-lobes. Styles short, deciduous. Fruit usually red or pink, pentagonal (rarely tetragonal) stelliform, depressed centrally, 5–8 mm. diameter, splitting into 5 (rarely 4) valves, the valves as many as the carpels, inflexed and remaining attached to the centre of the ovary. Seeds many, reniform, concentrically ridged. Fig. 11/1–2, p. 33.