Herbs or subshrubs, annual or short perennating, prostrate to ascending or erect, milky latex in all parts; monoecious; the main axis aborting, the secondary axes few to many, rarely rooting at nodes. Leaves opposite, simple; petiolate with stipules interpetiolar, distinct or joined; blades expanded, with chlorophyll-bearing cells mainly in a sheath around veins and colorless areas in between, the base inequilateral, the margin entire or serrate. Cyathia terminal but appearing axil-lary, solitary at nodes or clustered in cymules; lobes 5 approximating glands; glands 4 or with fifth vestigial, alternating with lobes, with petaloid appendages (these rarely obsolete). Staminate flowers few to many; naked; monandrous; pol-len grains subglobose, tectate, 3-colporate. Pistillate flowers terminal, solitary; naked; ovary 3-celled each with a single ovule, the styles 3, free or joined basally, partly bifid. Fruit capsular, almost always fully exerted and not splitting cyathium at maturity; seed ovoid, angled or terete, the coat smooth or variously sculptured, ecarunculate.
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