Annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs. Stems usually 4-angled. Leaves opposite, decussate, rarely in whorls of 3 or alternate, entire. Inflorescence of lax or dense axillary cymes, sometimes capitate and enveloped by large bracteoles or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual, 4-8-merous, with bracteoles which are very variable in size. Calyx tube 8-16-ribbed; appendages 0 or present. Petals 0-8. Stamens 4-23. Ovary 2-5-locular. Capsule opening by an apical operculum, the lower part subsepticidal or dehiscing irregularly. Worldwide: 56 species from tropical and South Africa; also southern India, Sri Lanka, Australia and South America Zambia: 16 taxa. |
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| Species | FZ divisions | Content |
| cordata Hiern | ||
| crassicaulis (Guill. & Perr.) Koehne | Image | |
| dinteri Koehne subsp. elata A. Fern. | ||
| erecta Guill. & Perr. | Image | |
| fruticosa A. Fern. & Diniz | ||
| heptamera Hiern | Description, Image | |
| ondongana Koehne subsp. ondongana var. ondongana | ||
| ondongana Koehne subsp. ondongana var. beiriana A. Fern. | ||
| ondongana Koehne subsp. ondongana var. evansiana (A. Fern. & Diniz) A. Fern. | ||
| purpurascens A. Fern. [DD] | ||
| radicans Guill. & Perr. var. radicans | ||
| radicans Guill. & Perr. var. floribunda (Sond.) A. Fern. | ||
| rautanenii Koehne | ||
| rigidula (Sond.) Koehne | Description, Image | |
| robinsoniana A. Fern. [DD] | ||
| schinzii Koehne |