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Herbs, annual, or subshrubs [shrubs and small trees] , glabrous, or ± pubescent or hispid. Stems erect, ascending, or prostrate, branched (rarely simple), not jointed, not armed, not fleshy. Leaves mostly alternate (rarely opposite, especially proximal ones), sessile; blade lanceolate, linear, or filiform to subulate, semiterete, margins entire basally, apex obtuse, soft and subspinescent or narrowed to spine or soft bristle. Inflorescences spicate, flowers solitary in axils of bracts or reduced distal leaves (rarely 2-3-flowered with lateral flowers poorly developed); bracts ovate-lanceolate, spine-tipped. Flowers bisexual, with 2 bracteoles; perianth segments persistent, 5, covering utricle at maturity, often developing transverse, dorsal, membranous or ± coriaceous wing (sometimes only 2-3 segments winged, sometimes wingless or nearly so); stamens 5; styles and stigmas 2 (or 3). Fruits utricles, covered by perianth segments at maturity; pericarp adherent. Seeds usually horizontal, orbicular; seed coat black or brown; perisperm absent. x = 9.
Herbs or shrubs, glabrous or hairy; stems not conspicuously jointed. Leaves alternate or lowest opposite, sessile, linear or triangular, often spine-tipped. Flowers axillary, solitary or glomerate, sessile, ☿, bibracteolate at the base; bracteoles exceeding perianth. Perianth 5-partite down to the base; segments ovate-oblong, in or below the middle with a transverse thickening, above the thickening scarious, after anthesis completely embracing the fruit; the thickening after anthesis often excrescent into a horizontal wing; basal part of perianth unchanged or slightly indurate. Stamens 5, inserted on annular disk; filaments linear or subulate; anthers short or long; connective either produced into a point or not. Ovary globose-ovoid; style short or long, split into 2 long arms. Fruit falling off together with perianth; pericarp membranous or fleshy. Seed usually horizontal, exalbuminous; embryo coiled in a conical spire, often green.
Annual or more often perennial herbs or shrubs, usually more or less pubescent. Leaves usually more or less fleshy, entire, alternate or sometimes opposite, sessile, narrow, sometimes scale-like. Flowers axillary, solitary or fascicled, subtended by relatively large bracteoles, hermaphrodite. Calyx (4-) 5-partite, the lobes almost always each developing in fruit a scarious horizontally spreading wing above the middle. Stamens 5, sometimes fewer. Stigmas 2, very rarely 3. Fruit with membranous or somewhat fleshy pericarp. Seeds normally “horizontal” (i.e. vertically compressed); testa membranous. Embryo spiral. Endosperm absent.
Herbs or small shrubs. Lvs sessile, alternate or the lowest opposite, narrow-linear to triangular or subterete, usually spine-tipped. Fls ☿, axillary, sessile, solitary or in fascicles; bracteoles 2, > perianth. Perianth segments (4)-5, ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, connate only at base, membranous at first, later ± indurate, developing a transverse wing on ridge of back at fruiting. Stamens 5, inserted on an annular disc. Stigmas 2-(3), filiform. Ovary and fr. subglobose. Pericarp membranous or fleshy, surrounded by accrescent perianth, abscissing with perianth. Seed horizontal, with coiled embryo.
Herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate, sessile, entire. Flowers bisexual, usually solitary in leaf-axil, sessile, 2-bracteolate. Tepals 5, lanceolate, scarious, each usually developing a transverse scarious wing in fruit. Stamens 5; anthers sometimes bearing scarious or bladder-shaped appendages. Ovary subglobular; stigmas 2, sessile or on a long style. Utricle dry, included in the scarious perianth. Seed orbicular, horizontal; testa membranous; embryo in a conical spiral; perisperm absent, filaments strap-shaped, attached to the outer surface of an annular or shallowly cup-shaped disc.
Fls perfect; cal deeply 5-lobed, the segments at maturity incurved over the fr, transversely carinate or winged, the tips connivent and erect; stamens usually 5; styles 2; seed thick, horizontal; embryo spirally coiled; perisperm none; ours branching, annual herbs with linear, succulent, ± spinulose-tipped lvs, the fls solitary or few in the axils of the shorter and spinier upper lvs (bracts), each subtended by a pair of bracteoles. 50+, widespread.
Flowers axillary, solitary or fascicled, sometimes aggregated in a spiciform way towards ends of branchlets, subtended by two relatively large bracteoles, hermaphrodite.
Leaves usually more or less fleshy, entire, alternate or sometimes opposite, sessile, narrow, often scale-like, sometimes linear-subulate.
Perianth (4) 5-partite, the lobes nearly always each developing in fruit above the middle a scarious horizontally spreading wing.
Seeds normally “horizontal”(i.e. vertically compressed); testa membranous.
Annual or more often perennial herbs or shrubs, usually pubescent.
Fruit with membranous or somewhat fleshy pericarp.
Stigmas 2, very rarely 3.
Stamens 5, rarely fewer.
Endosperm absent.
Embryo spiral.
