Shrubs much branched; woody branches with spines or not, herbaceous branchlets of current year with leaves and flowers. Leaves simple, alternate, rarely fascicled, nearly sessile; ocrea membranous, usually with 2 veins, 2-parted at apex. Inflorescence racemose, terminal, or lateral, with dense or sparse axillary flowers. Pedicel slender, jointed. Flowers hermaphroditic. Perianth persistent, 4-or 5-parted, inflated in fruit. Stamens 6 or 8; filaments dilated at base and united into a glandular ring. Ovary lenticularly compressed or trigonous; styles 2 or 3, short; stigmas capitate. Achenes lenticular or trigonous.
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