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Shrubs or herbs. Leaves sessile, alternate, oblong, linear or reduced to scales, 3-nerved. Flowers hermaphrodite, axillary and terminal, solitary or in cymules; bracts generally conspicuous, often adnate to the pedicel or peduncle; bracteoles 2–several, persistent. Perianth leathery; tube campanulate to cylindrical, often with evident glands below the sinuses of the lobes, sometimes tooth-like; lobes (3–)5, valvate, glabrous or variously fringed or bearded, the tips often hooded. Stamens as many as the lobes, inserted on or at the base of the lobes; anthers in East African species attached to the lobes by a tuft of hairs. Disk developed to varying degrees, fleshy, lobed, lining the perianth tube. Ovary with 3 ovules pendent from apex of a free-central placenta, the placenta straight or twisted; style usually evident, simple. Fruit usually shortly stipitate, indehiscent, globose or ovoid, usually bony, 10-ribbed and ± reticulate between the ribs, or less often fleshy, crowned with the persistent perianth.
Herbs [shrubs], perennial [annual], synoecious [dioecious]. Stems erect, hairy [glabrous]. Leaves alternate [opposite]. Inflorescences racemelike [spikelike] thyrses; flowers subtended by bract and 2 bracteoles [bract absent]. Pedicels absent [present]. Flowers bisexual [unisexual]; hypanthium adnate to ovary proximally, free distally; sepals 0 [present as small lobes or glands]; petals (4–)5, post-staminal hairs present; nectary lining hypanthium; stamens (4–)5; ovules 2–3 per locule; stigma capitate. Pseudodrupes: exocarp leathery; pedicel enlarging and becoming fleshy; hypanthium and petals persistent. x = 6–9.
Root-parasitic herbs and small shrubs. Leaves alternate. Inflorescence reduced to 1 flower, axillary; peduncle united with leaf-base. Flowers bisexual. Tepals 5, sometimes 4, united at base. Stamens 5, inserted on tepals. Ovary inferior; ovules 3; style slender; stigma capitate. Drupe small, dry, nut-like.
Perianth leathery; tube campanulate to cylindric, often with conspicuous external glands below the sinuses of the perianth lobes, sometimes with tooth-like glands alternating with the lobes; lobes usually 5, rarely 4 or 3, valvate, glabrous or variously fringed or bearded, tips hooded.
Ovary with 3 ovules pendant from apex of erect free-central placenta; placenta straight or twisted; stigma capitate; style wanting to well developed, simple, cylindric.
Fruit indehiscent, globose or ovoid, usually bony, 10-ribbed, ± reticulate between ribs, crowned with a persistent perianth, subtended by a stipe.
Stamens as many as lobes, inserted on or at base of lobes, in the Flora Zambesiaca species anthers attached to lobes by tuft of hairs.
Leaves sessile, alternate, in the Flora Zambesiaca area mostly linear or reduced to scales, ± oblong in one species, triplinerved.
Stamens as many as calyx-lobes and opposite to them, with a short filament, inserted near the base of the lobe
Calyx-tube adnate to ovary and continuing above it; calyx-lobes 4 or 5, valvate, glabrous or pubescent within
Bract often conspicuous, often adnate to pedicel or peduncle; bracteoles 2–several, all persistent.
Flowers hermaphrodite, axillary and terminal, solitary or in cymules in the axils of the bracts.
Disk often well developed, fleshy, lobed, lining perianth tube.
Fruits dry, globose, crowned by the persistent calyx.
Ovary inferior; ovules 2–4, pendulous
Semi-parasitic herbs or undershrubs
With much-reduced leaves
Flowers hermaphrodite
Shrubs or herbs.
