Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs or small trees.

Stems: Young branches sparsely to densely covered with stellate, spreading, plumose hairs.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite, decussate. Margins denticulate. 3–7-veined, usually 2 or 3 on each side of midvein. Petiolate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers numerous in terminal, bracteolate panicles. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Hypanthium campanulate to subcylindrical, glabrous or variously pubescent. Calyx lobes obscurely developed or triangular, persistent. Corolla of 4 petals, elliptic, ovate, or oblong–ovate, usually glabrous. Stamens 8, all similar or often dimorphic with larger ones inserted on receptacle opposite the calyx lobes and smaller ones inserted opposite the petals; anthers subulate or linear, with a ventral, circular, subterminal pore; anther sacs prolonged at base into oblong lobes, connective not prolonged in larger anthers but prolonged dorially into a deflexed spur in smaller anthers. Ovary inferior, 4-celled, placentation axile; ovules numerous; style simple; stigma, terminal, punctiform to capitate.

Fruit: Capsules with loculicidal dehiscence; essentially distinct but enclosed by the ellipsoid to fusiform; 8–ribbed hypanthium at maturity. Seeds falcate to cuneate; smooth or minutely papillose; endosperm absent.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range: