Annual to perennial, usually prostrate herbs; woolly or woolly-tomentose. Stems with lysigenous muciligae ducts in the pith. Leaves alternate, petiolate, lamina toothed, lobed or pinnatisect or bipinnatisect (not in Australia); stipules usually minute, completely absent or absent from most leaves and present on some. Flowers often small, sometimes large and showy, appearing as axillary, solitary, actinomorphic (except for gynoecium), bisexual; hypanthium present, accrescent, with or without spinose appendages. Sepals 5, valvate, usually persistent, sometimes spinescent. Petals 5, free, imbricate or convolute, usually contorted. Stamens 10, in 2 series, the outer stamens shorter than the inner, free on slightly prolonged hypanthium; filaments glabrous or rarely pubescent, with broadened bases, sometimes persistent; anthers dithecal, tetrasporangiate, dorsifixed, versatile, dehiscing by longitudinal slits. Gynoecium of 3–10 carpels, the carpels slightly united at the base and adnate to the throat of the hypanthium, the gynoecium becoming asymmetrical by unequal development. Ovary ± inferior, plurilocular, but 2–4 of the locules on the side toward the peduncle ± reduced, or their ovules not maturing; styluli free, usually persistent and hardening; stigmas capitate. Ovules 1 (2) per locule; placentation apical-axile. Fruit dry, woody, flattened, orbicular, spiny or winged, indehiscent, few seeded. Seeds without endosperm, germinating in hypanthium.
Home