Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual or perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems often swollen at the nodes. stems often prostrate to spreading, sometimes erect.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite or sometimes appearing whorled. Base leaf bases often connate around the stem. Margins entire. Sessile to Long-petiolate. Stipules present, small, persistent or sometimes caducous.

Flowers: Flowers few to numerous in dichasial cymes, occasionally in axillary clusters, racemes, or solitary. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. Calyx of 5 sepals; sepals distinct, nearly distinct, or connate into a conspicuous tube. Corolla of 3–5 petals; petals white, usually 2-cleft, rarely absent; notched, cleft, or sometimes fibriate or divided, sometimes sharply differentiated into an expanded part and a basal claw, then often with 2 small outgrowths present at the juncture of the limb and claw. Stamens 2–5, rarely alternating with staminodes; distinct or adnate to petals at base to form a short tube, which may be adnate to the gynophore or sometimes adnate to lower part of calyx, petaloid staminodes sometimes present; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior; styles 3, occasionally 2, connate proximally for 1/2 of length, rarely to nearly distinct (D. cordata), filiform, 0.1–0.3 mm, glabrous proximally; stigmas 3, occasionally 2, linear along adaxial surfaces of styles (or branches).

Fruit: Capsules ovoid to globose; dehiscing by 3 valves. Seeds 1 to numerous; cochleate to reniform; usually tuberculate; perisperm starchy; hard or rarely soft; true endosperm absent.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range: