Duranta L.

Glabrous or pubescent, often spinose shrubs. Leaves decussate-opposite or whorled, simple, entire or dentate, deciduous. Inflorescences mostly terminal, rarely axillary or abbreviated, indeterminate, racemiform, elongate. Flowers often showy, mostly pedicellate, each borne in the axil of a small bractlet; calyx gamosepalous, subplicate, tubular or subcampanulate, 5-costate, mostly truncate apically, each rib terminating in a short subulate tooth, the posterior tooth smallest; corolla gamopetalous, hypocrateriform, mostly blue, purple, or white, the tube cylindric, straight or curved above, exserted from the calyx, the limb spreading, regular or oblique, 5-parted, mostly pubescent at the mouth, the lobes rounded, usually unequal, mostly pubescent on the inner surface; stamens 4, didynamous, included, inserted at or above the middle of the corolla-tube; fila-ments very short; anthers sagittate, dorsifixed, erect, with parallel thecae; style terminal, shorter than or equaling the lower stamens, the stigma obliquely sub-capitate, very shortly and unequally 4-lobed; ovary more or less completely 8-celled, composed of 4, 2-celled carpels, each cell 1-ovulate; fruiting-calyx accres-cent, flask-shaped, usually surpassing and closely appressed to the fruit, but not coalesced with it, usually coarctate-rostrate at the apex. Fruit drupaceous, mostly completely included in the mature calyx, the exocarp fleshy, the endocarp hard; pyrenes 4, each 2-celled and 2-seeded.