Herbs, shrublets, or shrubs, erect or stoloniferous. Stems usually 4-sided. Leaves petiolate; leaf blade secondary veins 2-4 on each side of midvein, tertiary veins parallel, margin entire or denticulate. Inflorescences terminal, subterminal, or axillary, umbellate, cymose umbellate, cymose paniculate, or rarely capitate, usually long pedunculate; bracts caducous. Flowers (3 or)4-merous. Pedicel bracteolate. Hypanthium funnel-shaped or subcampanulate, (3 or)4-sided, longitudinal (6 or)8-ribbed. Calyx lobes (3 or)4. Petals ovate, obovate, or broadly ovate, usually oblique. Stamen whorls ± equal in shape and length or only slightly unequal in length; anthers subulate to oblong-linear, base tuberculate, expanded, or not appendaged; connective decurrent, forming a short spur. Ovary inferior, urceolate, rarely cup-shaped, (3 or)4-celled. Style filiform; stigma acute. Capsule cup-shaped or globose-urceolate; hypanthium 8-ribbed. Seeds small, cuneate, angulate, densely tuberculate or not.
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