Flowers 4-merous. Hypanthium broadly campanulate, 8-ribbed, thin-walled, somewhat 4-angled. Calyx-tube briefly or not at all prolonged; sepals erect, ovate-triangular, acute or obtuse; exterior teeth none. Petals obovate or broadly elliptic, obtuse, entire or ciliate. Stamens dimorphic or isomorphic; filaments delicate, flat, glabrous; anthers ovoid to oblong, linear-oblong, or subulate, obtuse or acuminate, opening by a minute terminal pore; connective prolonged below the thecae, bearing at its base an anterior tubercle or a 2-to 3-lobed, truncate or rounded appendage. Ovary free, 4-celled, often glandular or setose; style slender, glabrous; stigma truncate. Capsule 4-valved; seeds clavate-ellipsoid. Herbs with terete, angled, or winged stems and lanceolate to narrowly oblong dimorphic leaves, the smaller member of each pair early deciduous; flowers few to many, in small cymes termi-nating the stem and branches; petals white to pink--purple, 5-10 mm. long.
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