Leaves very shortly petiolate, elliptic to lanceolate, rather thick, closely placed, the lateral nerves invisible or very obscure; stipule sheath usually hairy, divided into several subulate fimbriae.
Seeds few, much compressed, elliptic or oblong, sometimes subangular and often slightly winged at both ends or all round, reticulate.
Capsule depressed hemispherical, produced into a conical beak which splits loculicidally and septicidally into 4 diverging valves.
Corolla shortly subcylindrical, slightly widened above; lobes 4; throat glabrous or sparsely hairy inside.
Small erect shrubs, invariably turning blackish on drying and with distinctly discolorous leaves.
Ovary 2-locular; ovules few on peltate placentas; style filiform; stigma lobes subglobose.
Flowers heterostylous, small in many-flowered dense terminal corymbs or panicles.
Calyx lobes 4, triangular or lanceolate, often with fimbriae between.
Stamens well exserted in short-styled flowers.