Information

Completely glabrous shrubs, shrublets or annual or perennial herbs. Leaves sessile to petiolate, serrate; stipules with laciniate margins or dissected into filamentous lobes, persistent. Inflorescences paniculate terminal or few-flowered monochasial cymes or flowers solitary in axils of foliage leaves or reduced bract-like leaves. Sepals 5, quincuncially imbricate, persistent. Petals 5, white or pink, deciduous. Stamens 5, antisepalous, free with anthers dehiscing longitudinally; filaments short, in one species adnate to base of staminodial tube. Staminodes 5, petaloid, opposite the true petals in one species but usually in 2 whorls; outer staminodes many in a continuous ring or in 5 antisepalous groups, short, filiform and capitate or narrowly petaloid; inner staminodes 5, antipetalous, petaloid, free, forming a sort of corona. Ovary with 3 parietal placentas (or axile at the base) each with many ovules in 2 rows; style simple, slender with small stigma. Capsule with 3 septicidal valves; seeds numerous with punctate testa, abundant endosperm and straight embryo.About 25 species all but 3 confined to tropical America.