Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Shrubs to annual herbs, often with stellate hairs and/or glandular hairs and oil glands; leaves usually opposite, rarely alternate, simple; stipules present or absent.

Flowers bisexual, regular, solitary or in cymes; sepals usually 5, free, usually contorted, the outer 2 smaller than the others; petals usually 5 but rarely 3 or 0, free, usually contorted, often large and showy, usually caducous; stamens usually numerous, on a disk surrounding the base of the ovary, the outer stamens sometimes sterile; filaments free; anthers 2-locular, introrse; ovary superior, usually 1-celled or incompletely up to 10-celled; ovules 2 to numerous, parietal; styles usually 1, with 3-5 stigmas.

Fruit a usually loculicidal capsule, 3-10-valved; seeds endospermous, with a curved embryo.

Distribution:  8 genera and about 200 species mainly in the northern temperate region.

Biology: No text

Author: Prepared by J.P. Jessop