Description: Annual or perennial herbs.
Leaves opposite.
Inflorescence terminal, sessile between 2 leaves, cylindrical to globose. Flowers bisexual. Bracts ovate to lanceolate, acute to long-acute; innermost bracts keeled, ± equal to length of perianth segments. Perianth segments 5, hardening in fruit, woolly on outer surface; apex glabrous, long-acute. Stamens 5, filaments fused into a tube, the anthers borne below the acute teeth of the tube. Ovary glabrous; style short; stigma bifid.
Fruit compressed, indehiscent, 1-seeded.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 100 species, Central & South America & Australia. Australia: 19 species, Qld, N.S.W., N.T., S.A., W.A.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & L. Lapinpuro
Taxon concept:
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