Burmanniaceae Blume

Small herbs, usually saprophytic, rhizomatous or tuberous, usually lacking chlorophyll. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, sessile, clasping, often forming a rosette, the cauline leaves often scale-like; venation parallel or obscure. Inflorescence terminal, branched or reduced to 1 flower, racemose or cymose; bracts small. Flowers bisexual, regular or irregular, trimerous, often 3-6-angled or 3-winged, the wings decurrent on to the ovary. Perianth-tube open or constricted at the mouth, persistent or not; outer tepals valvate; inner tepals usually smaller, sometimes absent; tepals sometimes very long, narrowly triangular. Stamens 3 or 6, inserted at various heights, if 3, then opposite inner tepals; anthers dehiscing transversely or longitudinally, sessile or pendulous, 2-thecous; thecae sometimes divaricate and stipitate on the forked connective, which sometimes has apical and/or basal appendages. Ovary inferior, 3-locular with axile placentas or 1-locular with parietal placentas, which sometimes detach and become suspended apically; sometimes with globose glands on either side of the placentas; ovules numerous, minute; style included, usually short, filiform to conical, shortly 3-lobed or capitate; stigmas sometimes with long filiform tails. Fruit a capsule, crowned by remains of perianth, often 3-or 6-ribbed or-winged, opening apically or longitudinally between the placentas. Seeds numerous, minute, subglobose, linear or ellipsoid; endosperm scanty or none