Annual or perennial herbs with entire, opposite leaves. Inflorescences terminal on stems and branches, sometimes bright red, bracteate; flowers solitary (in ours) or paired in axils of each
bract. All flowers bisexual with 2 bracteoles. Modified sterile flowers
0. Perianth segments 5, shortly mucronate. Stamens 5, alternating with 5
pseudostaminodes. Ovary (in our species) glabrous below with a dense ring of hairs centrally, less hairy above. Fruit
a capsule, rupturing irregularly. Worldwide: 3 species in tropical Africa Malawi: 2 taxa. |
No image yet |