Monoecious or rarely dioecious annuals or herbaceous perennials. Leaves alternate, subopposite or subwhorled, stipulate, sessile or petiolate, entire or toothed. Stipules entire or deeply lobed, persistent. Inflorescences sessile or pedunculate, terminal, head-like cymes, bracteate. Flowers sessile or on articulate pedicels; gamosepalous; calyx deeply lobed; corolla present or absent; disc present. Male flowers with 4 or 5 calyx lobes, valvate or imbricate; petals 4 or 5; glands 4 or 5, antisepalous; stamens 8 or 10 (11); filaments free; anthers 2-celled; anther cells subglobose, free, divergent to pendant on transverse connective, dehiscing by ± longitudinal slits; rudimentary ovary present or absent. Female flowers with 5 calyx lobes, imbricate, persistent, appressed to fruit; petals absent or if present, 5; glandular disc present, 3–10-lobed or continuous ring around ovary; ovary 3-locular, smooth, glabrous; locules uniovulate; styles 3, free or shortly fused at base, spreading, persistent, deeply bifid, fimbriate. Fruit capsular, usually shallow 3-lobed, smooth or slightly rugose, glabrous, dehiscing septicidally into three 2-valved cocci leaving a persistent columella. Seeds carunculate; testa smooth or rugose, shiny.
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