Herbs, annual. Taproots slender. Stems ascending to erect, simple or sometimes branched proximally, terete. Leaves: cauline leaves connate proximally, sessile or sometimes petiolate (basal leaves); blade 1-veined, linear to linear-oblanceolate, not succulent, apex acute. Inflorescences terminal, 1-3-flowered, spreading cymes or flowers solitary; bracts paired, foliaceous, those of axillary flowers with scarious margins. Pedicels erect. Flowers: perianth and androecium hypogynous; sepals 4, distinct, green, lanceolate, 3.8-7 mm, herbaceous, margins white or silvery, scarious, apex acute; petals 4 or rarely absent, white, claw absent, blade apex entire; nectaries at base of filaments opposite sepals; stamens 4, inserted at base of ovary; filaments distinct nearly to base; staminodes absent; styles 4, filiform, 0.7-1 mm, glabrous proximally; stigmas 4, linear along adaxial surface of styles, minutely papillate (50×). Capsules cylindric, opening by 8 revolute teeth, shorter than or equaling sepals; carpophore absent. Seeds 35-55, brown, reniform with deep abaxial groove, laterally compressed, papillate, marginal wing absent, appendage absent. x = 19.
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Glabrous annual rosette herbs. Lvs opposite, exstipulate, linear to oblong-lanceolate. Infl. a few-flowered long-pedicellate cyme, or fls solitary; bracts leaflike; epicalyx 0. Sepals 4-5, free. Petals 4-5, white, entire or emarginate; coronal scales 0. Stamens 4-10. Styles (3)-4-(5). Fr. a narrow-ovoid or cylindric capsule, dehiscing by twice as many teeth as the styles; carpophore 0. Seeds many, reniform, papillate, not winged.
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