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Herbs, diffuse, annual, biennial, or perennial [or sometimes shrubs], with cystoliths; young stems ± 6-angled in cross-section. Leaves petiolate; leaf blade margin entire or subsinuate. Inflorescences of cymes in leaf axils or in terminal spikelike thyrses or panicles of thyrses. Flowers subtended by an involucre of several pairs of bracteoles (= cymule); outermost pair equal or unequal in size, usually concealing inner pair(s), calyx, and base of corolla. Calyx deeply 5-lobed; lobes narrow, equal, apex acute. Corolla pink, resupinate 180° by torsion of tube; tube slender, widened apically, limb 2-lipped; lower lip (in upper position) 3-lobed, lobes ascending cochlear in bud; upper lip (in lower position) entire or emarginate. Stamens 2, exserted from mouth of corolla; anthers 2-thecous; thecae unequally inserted to superposed, base muticous; staminodes absent. Stigma 2-cleft. Capsule substipitate or stipitate, 2-4-seeded; retinacula present; placenta with retinacula separating elastically and rising from inner capsule wall at dehiscence. Seeds lenticular, papillate, lacking trichomes.
Cal regular, deeply 5-cleft; cor strongly bilabiate, the tube scarcely enlarged upward, the lips entire or inconspicuously toothed at the top; stamens 2, inserted near the top of the cor-tube; pollen-sacs distinct, one apparently lateral, the other terminal; fr elliptic, flat, 2–4-seeded, the thin sides torn loose by the recurving of the indurate margins; herbs with long-petioled lvs and axillary, cymose, sessile or subsessile, few-fld clusters of small, pink to purple or red fls subtended by foliaceous bracts. 150, warm regions.
Herbs or shrubs; stems more or less hexagonal in cross section. Leaves mostly ovate with entire or undulate margins, petiolate. Inflorescences of cymes, spikes, panicles or thyrses, subtended by 2-4 pairs of conspicuous involucrate bracts. Flowers with the calyx 5-merous, hyaline; corollas narrow, slightly funnelform, bilabiate; stamens 2, the anther cells often unequal; staminodes absent. Capsules ovate or clavate; seeds 2 or 4.
