Annual or perennial herbs, or rarely subshrubs (not in Australia), often with square stems; hairs present, eglandular or glandular, unicellular (branched or simple) or multicellular. Leaves opposite, petiolate to sessile (sometimes with winged petioles), usually simple, rarely pinnately compound (not in Australia) or rarely 2-lobed (not in Australia), entire or serrate, free or sometimes basally fused; bracteoles usually absent; stipules absent. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary raceme, or rarely solitary and axillary. Flowers zygomorphic, usually upright (resupinate in Lindernia hypandra), bisexual, chasmogamous and or cleistogamous; bracts absent. Calyx of (4 or) 5 sepals; sepals usually fused at least at base, rarely free, sometimes unequal but not bilabiate. Corolla of (2–) 4–5 fused petals, bilabiate (rarely upper lip absent, not in Australia), usually funnel-shaped, glabrous or hairy; lower lip of corolla sometimes with yellow club-shaped hairs on a pluricellular base (not in Australia); nectary present at base of ovary. Stamens (2–) 4 (–5), alternating with perianth, filaments free from each other and fused to the corolla tube, the lower stamens usually different to the upper, either zig-zag, curved, or longer, with spur-like or club-like appendages, or reduced to 2 staminodes; anthers tetrasporangiate, dithecal, dorsifixed, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, free from each other or connivent. Gynoecium of 2 connate carpels. Ovary superior, 2-locular, sometimes with apical and internal hairs; style 1, simple, apical; stigma bilobed, sensitive. Ovules 10–50 per locule; placentation basal or axile. Fruit a septicidal capsule or septifragal, or sometimes poricidal capsules (Torenia s. str.) Seeds many, small, often with rounded pits or longitudinal furrows; endosperm usually alveolate.
Some members of the family are cultivated as ornamentals, especially Torenia fournieri (Wishbone Flower, Bluewings) which is grown as a summer-flowering annual or occasionally a pot plant and is available in a range of seed selections with slight colour and habit variations; also a range of cultivars including white-, blue-, violet-and pink-flowered forms (HortFlora). The common name Wishbone Flower is derived from the chicken-wishbone-shaped stamens. Vandellia micrantha is consumed in Laos. Micranthemum umbrosum (Baby Tears) is sometimes sold as an aquarium plant.
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