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Erect, scandent or occasionally prostrate herbs or shrubs, with usually tomentose, scabrid-hairy or sparsely to densely prickly stems. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3(–4), mostly aromatic, usually toothed, often ± bullate or rugose, usually glandular-punctate. Flowers sessile in often colourful, usually axillary, pedunculate heads or spike-like inflorescences, each flower subtended by an ovate to lanceolate usually acuminate bract. Calyx small, membranous, truncate or sinuate-dentate. Corolla red, yellow, purple, blue, mauve or white, sometimes bicoloured with throat yellow to orange, often changing colour after fertilisation, salver-shaped with narrowly cylindrical tube; limb obscurely 2-lipped, 4–5-lobed, the lobes obtuse or even emarginate. Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted at middle of tube, included. Ovary 2-locular with 1 basal erect ovule per locule; style short, with ± thick oblique or sublateral stigma. Axis of fruiting spike with scars ± scattered, not close as in Lippia. Drupes with ± fleshy mesocarp, rarely rather dry; endocarp hard, 2-locular or splitting into 2 1-locular pyrenes. Seeds without albumen.
Erect, scandent or prostrate herbs or shrubs, sometimes scrambling, scabrous, hirsute or sometimes with thorns. Leaves simple, petiolate or subsessile, decussate, opposite or ternate, aromatic. Inflorescence axillary, pedunculate, of contracted heads or cylindric spikes. Flowers sessile, bracteate. Calyx persistent, gamosepalous; tube membranous, truncate or sinuate-dentate. Corolla gamopetalous, hypocrateriform; tube narrowly cylindrical or enlarged above the middle; limbs spreading, 2-lipped, 4-or 5-lobed; lobes obtuse or retuse. Stamens 4, epipetalous, included; filaments minute; anthers dorsifixed. Ovary bicarpellary (one often abortive), 2-locular with 1 basal erect ovule in each locule; style short with thick stigma. Fruit a drupe; mesocarp fleshy; endocarp hard, splitting into two 1-locular pyrenes. Seeds without endosperm.
Shrubs, ± aromatic, sometimes almost scrambling, sometimes with prickles; rhizomes 0. Lvs opposite, variously hairy, dentate, often rugose and glandular. Infl. terminal or axillary, usually corymbose, sometimes spike-like, dense, bracteate; fls sessile or subsessile, small. Calyx 2-lobed, small, scarcely accrescent. Corolla zygomorphic; tube cylindric, slender; limb flat, with 4-5, subequal lobes. Stamens 4, didynamous, included. Style included. Ovary 2-celled, each cell with 1 ovule. Fr. a succulent drupe with 2 pyrenes, not enclosed in calyx.
Shrubs, climbing, aromatic, pubescent or glabrous. Branches 4-angled, sometimes prickly. Leaves petiolate; leaf blade simple, crenate, often rugose. Inflorescences dense capitula, pedunculate; bracts exceeding calyx. Calyx small, membranous, truncate or sinuate dentate. Corolla nearly actinomorphic or slightly 2-lipped, tube slender; lobes 4 or 5, spreading. Stamens 4, didynamous, included. Ovary 2-locular. Style shorter than corolla tube; stigma obliquely subcapitate. Drupes with 2 1-seeded pyrenes.
Corolla small, hypocrateriform, red, yellow, purple, blue, mauve or white, sometimes bicoloured with the throat yellow to orange, often changing colour after fertilization; tube slender, cylindrical or enlarging above middle; limb spreading, obscurely 2-lipped, 4–5-lobed with lobes obtuse to emarginate.
Ovary 1-carpellate; carpel 2-locular; ovules 1 per locule, basal, erect or attached laterally near the base; style undivided with a somewhat thick, oblique or sublateral stigma.
Indumentum usually of simple appressed or spreading hairs, gland-tipped hairs sometimes also present; young parts and leaf lower surface usually glandular-punctate.
Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3(4), usually decussate, simple, usually petiolate, mostly aromatic; lamina usually serrate or crenate, often ± bullate or rugose.
Calyx small, ± tubular and shorter than the corolla tube, truncate to entire or sinuate-dentate, membranous, whitish.
Stamens 4, included; filaments short, inserted ± at middle of corolla tube; anthers ovate, with parallel thecae.
Inflorescences usually axillary, pedunculate, spicate; spikes densely cylindrical or subspherical; bracts small.
Fruit drupaceous; mesocarp ± fleshy, rarely rather dry; endocarp hard, 2-locular, not splitting into 2 pyrenes.
Shrubs, undershrubs or perennial herbs, usually erect, sometimes scandent, rarely procumbent.
Flowers small, each sessile in the axil of an ovate to lanceolate usually acuminate bract.
Stems and branches tomentose, scabrid hairy, or sparsely to densely armed with prickles.
Seeds without endosperm.
