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Shrublets, shrubs, or herbs. Stems striate or reduced to a caudex. Leaves simple, alternate or basal, sessile or petiolate but petiole usually indistinct from blade; stipules absent; leaf blade entire or rarely pinnately lobed, with chalk glands on both surfaces. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, unbranched or branched, spicate, spicate-racemose, subcapitate, capitate, or paniculate, arranged into complanate spikes if branched, all composed of 1--10 or more cymules or helicoid cymes; cymules or helicoid cymes usually known as spikelets, 1--5-flowered; bracts 1 at base of each spikelet; bractlets 1 or 2 at base of each flower. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, sessile or very shortly pedicellate. Calyx persistent, hypogynous, tubular to funnelform, 5-ribbed, 5-lobed. Corolla hypogynous, petals connate but sometimes only at base, lobes or segments 5 and twisted. Stamens opposite corolla lobes, hypogynous or inserted at corolla base; anthers 2-locular, dehiscing longitudinally. Pistil 1. Ovary superior, 1-locular. Styles 5, free or connate. Stigmas 5. Ovule 1, pendulous from a basal funicle. Capsules usually enclosed within calyx. Seeds 1 per capsule; embryo straight, surrounded by thin starchy endosperm.
Perennial, rarely annual, herbs or small shrubs. Leaves alternate or in basal rosettes, exstipulate. Flowers 1–several in usually 3-bracteate spikelets; spikelets grouped into spikes or compact heads. Sepals united, tubular or funnel-shaped, 5-nerved, often 5-ribbed or 5-angled; limb sometimes membranous or scarious. Corolla actinomorphic, tubular or funnel-shaped with 5 lobes, or petals connate only at base. Stamens 5, antipetalous, inserted at base of corolla; anthers dithecous, dehiscent longitudinally. Ovary superior, sessile or stalked, 1-locular; ovule 1, anatropous, pendulous from a basal funicle; styles 5, or style 1 with 5 stigma-lobes. Fruit a dry 1-seeded capsule, often enclosed in the persistent calyx, indehiscent or dehiscing irregularly or by splitting in a complete ring near base, or operculate. Endosperm abundant, scanty or absent
Flowers hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, often in unilateral inflorescences or subumbellate; bracts often sheathing, dry and membranous
Fruit a dry 1–seeded capsule, often enclosed in the persistent calyx, indehiscent, or operculate, or dehiscing irregularly
Stamens 5, opposite the corolla-lobes; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise
Petals free, slightly joined at base, or united to form long basal tube
Seed with or without endosperm, and with a straight embryo
Corolla gamopetalous, lobes imbricate, mostly persistent
Seeds with abundant, scanty, or absent, mealy endosperm
Leaves in a basal rosette or alternate; stipules absent
Calyx often ribbed, mostly membranous between the ribs
Leaves exstipulate, alternate or in basal rosettes
Ovary superior 1-celled; styles 5, free or connate
Stamens inserted at base of corolla, antipetalous
Ovary superior, 1–celled with 1 anatropous ovule
Perennial, rarely annual, herbs or small shrubs
Flowers 5–merous, bisexual, actinomorphic
Ovule 1, pendulous from a basal funicle
Inflorescence various, often cymose
Styles 5, or 1 with 5 stigma–lobes
Herbs, undershrubs or climbers
Bracts scarious
Fruit various
Disk absent
