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Herbs or subshrubs, sometimes arborescent, usually perennial, occasionally monocarpic, very rarely biennial. Lvs alternate, free, simple, entire, crowded in often flat terminal rosettes. Infl. a terminal or lateral paniculate raceme or cyme, often thyrsoid. Fls 6-13-merous; ± pendent in bud. Calyx divided to > 1/2 way; lobes equal. Petals free, ± patent, thin and not fleshy, usually yellow or cream, sometimes white, pale pink or red. Stamens exserted, twice as many as petals; inner epipetalous whorl < to > outer whorl. Scales free, very rarely 0, ± square to obcordate. Carpels as many as petals, with base immersed in receptacle. Seeds numerous.
Erect perennial shrubs, mostly branched, or perennial, rarely biennial herbs with horizontal offsets. Stems usually woody, at least near the base. Leaves alternate or spirally arranged, entire, fleshy, usually ciliate. Panicles cymose or thyrsoid. Flowers 6–12-merous, yellow, whitish, pink or red. Calyx ± cupuliform, 6–12-fid, green, fleshy. Petals as many as the calyx segments, longer than the stamens. Stamens twice as many as the petals, the epipetalous stamens shorter than the others. Nectary scales small, ± quadrate or obcordate, rarely absent. Carpels equal in number to the petals, slightly immersed in the base of the receptacle.
