Annual or perennial herbs with alternate leaves and branches. Leaves entire. Flowers small, in long-pedunculate axillary spike-like bracteate racemes, each bract subtending a subsessile partial inflorescence consisting of 2–3 fertile flowers, of which the outer (1–)2 are subtended by a bracteolate sterile flower of 2 laterally emerging curved accrescent horn-like processes, and the other (where 2 are present) bibracteolate. Perianth-segments (4–)5, the outer pair firm, nervose, mucronate, opposite and enclosing the remaining flower parts, the inner segments delicate, hyaline. Stamens (4–)5, free or fused by a very short basal membrane, without intermediate pseudostaminodes; filaments filiform; anthers narrow, bilocular. Ovary compressed with a firm upper rim along the major axis, the single ovule lateral on a curved funicle; radicle descending; style filiform, stigmas 2, linear. Fruit 1–3 capsules enveloped by the developing mass of the processes, receptacle and very short pedicel, each partial inflorescence becoming indurate, spiky and gall-like, containing 1–3 seeds in the compressed capsules, falling as a unit. Endosperm copious.
Home