Perennial, terrestrial herbs from underground scaly rhizomes; stems erect to decumbent, seldom elongate, usually pubescent to pilose, unbranched. Leaves opposite or 3 in a whorl, nearly equal to very unequal in a pair, membranous, variously toothed; petioles short. Inflorescences axillary, of single flowers or of 2 or more in a short cyme. Flowers often showy; floral tube turbinate; calyx of 5 free, entire lobes; corolla erect or oblique in the calyx, either tubular with a flat spreading limb, or obliquely funnelform, often swollen or spurred on the upper side at the base, the 5-lobed limb nearly regular to 2-lipped, lobes broad, spreading or nearly erect, entire to fringed, the lower 3 lobes usually larger; stamens 4, included, didynamous, the filaments adnate to the base of the corolla tube, slender, the anthers oblong or quadrate, united apically; disc annular, cup-like, entire; ovary /2 to completely inferior, 1-celled with 2 parietal placentas, the style curved, the stigma bilobed, stomatomorphic or cupulate. Fruit a bivalved capsule, the apex conic.
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