Dioecious herbs. Leaves erect. Inflorescence
of whorls of 3 branches or 3 flowers; bracts 3. Flowers
unisexual. Male flowers: sepals 3, petals 3, stamens 9, abortive
carpels c.12. Female flowers: sepals 3, petals 0, rarely present as 3
minute scales; carpels numerous, free. Achenes spirally
arranged, laterally flattened with a flange following the
outline of the seed cavity on each side, glandular. Worldwide: 1 species in tropical Africa Malawi: 1 taxon. |
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