Herbs hydrophytic or of swamps. Stem erect or floating, elongate, 5-angled, nodes often with adventitious roots. Leaves alternate, sessile, with 2 basal glands, margin serrate. Inflorescences axillary, 1-5-flowered; peduncles short. Pedicels slender, bracteate at base. Flowers symmetrical, colored. Sepals 5, lateral sepals 4; outer 2: oblong or elliptic-oblong, apex obtuse or slightly acute; inner 2: elliptic-oblanceolate, longer. Lower sepal (lower by resupination) navicular, spurred. Petals 5, all free; upper petal subcucullate, obovate; lateral petals 4, upper 2 (upper by resupination) narrowly oblong; lower 2 longer and narrow, apex swollen. Stamens 5; anthers 2-celled, apically slightly connate and involute, apically dehiscent. Ovary 5-loculed, with 2 or 3 anatropous ovules per locule; stigmas 5, sessile, subulate. Fruit a fleshy pseudoberry, globose, 5-angled, indehiscent; fruit coat cartilaginous, 5-loculed, with 1 seed per locule. Seeds curved, rugose, endosperm absent.
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