Perennial, terrestrial herbs from scaly rhizomes; stems short, erect. Leaves opposite, often congested at the apex of the stem; blades membranous, soft, the margins crenate, dentate, or serrate; petioles short to long. Inflorescences axillary, of single or many clustered flowers; pedicels slender; floral tube turbinate; calyx campanulate with 5 spreading equal or subequal lobes; corolla subrotate or cup-shaped with a short tube, the limb of 5 spreading or erect broad, subequal lobes; stamens 4, adnate to the base of the corolla tube with a short staminode, the fila-ments slender, exceeding the length of the anthers, the latter obovate to subglo-bose, the cells distinct and not confluent, dehiscent by a short slit; disc lacking, the ovary 1/2-inferior, the style curved, a little longer than the stamens, the stigma stomatomorphic. Fruit a 2-valved capsule; seeds numerous. Chromosomes n = 13 (Lee & Grear, 1963) or 2n = +26 (Lee, 1966b).
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