Herbs, often somewhat shrubby. Flowers in terminal and axillary racemes, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, oblique. Sepals 4, 1 free, ± oblong-elliptic, the others united to ± the middle, with the rounded median lobe the longer, accrescent, surrounding the fruit, becoming prominently 3-nerved and sometimes brightly coloured. Stamens 4(–13); anthers dorsifixed. Ovary of1 carpel, somewhat laterally compressed; style very short to as long as the ovary, tapered or capitate. Fruit discoidal, with a slightly toughened skin closely adhering to the seed, reticulately nerved when dry. Seed similarly shaped, with a brittle black testa.