Herbs, subshrubs or shrubs. Bark sometimes becoming fissured. Leaves alternate, sometimes fasciculate, sessile or subsessile, lamina linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate (not in Australia), entire, denticulate or crenate; stipules linear to lanceolate, membranous or herbaceous. Flowers solitary, axillary, strongly zygomorphic, bracts present on upper portion of peduncle. Sepals subequal. Petals unequal; anterior spurred, clawed, the laminar broad and distinctly exceeding the calyx; posterior pair linear; lateral pair broader. Stamens on short filaments, connate at base into a minute collar; anthers free but cohering by narrow wings, sometimes penicillate, without an appendage; anterior stamens with nectaries in medial or upper third of filaments. Ovary globose, ovules usually 9, 12 or 15; style sigmoid; stigma expanded. Fruit a capsule, coriaceous. Seeds narrowly ovoid-ellipsoidal, 2–3 mm long, pale yellow to cream, ribbed and/or pitted, rarely smooth, arillate.
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