Herbs, erect, creeping or climbing. Leaves opposite, sometimes cordate or hastate at base. Flowers axillary. Bracts 2, large, elliptic or ovate, enveloping the small calyx. Calyx usually of 10-18 linear teeth, rarely a small saucer-shaped body. Stamens 4, didynamous, 2-thecous; anthers opening by longitudinal slits. Retinacula 0. Ovary 2-locular, with 2 ovules in each loculus. Fruit a spherical beaked capsule. Distinguished by the large bracts, the calyx with its numerous lobes, the method of anther dehiscence and the beaked fruit. Derivation of name: Named after Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828) Comment: See Pseudocalyx for the differences with that genus. Worldwide: 90 species in the Old World tropics Zambia: 22 taxa. Insects associated with this genus:
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| Species | FZ divisions | Content |
| alata Bojer ex Sims | B,N,W,C,E | Description, Image |
| bianoensis De Wild. & Ledoux | W | |
| ciliata De Wild. | N | |
| crispa Burkill | N,W,C,E,S | Description, Image |
| cycnium S.Moore | W | |
| gossweileri S.Moore | B,W,C | Description, Image |
| graminifolia De Wild. | N,W | Description, Image |
| huillensis S. Moore | W,C,S | Description, Image |
| kirkiana T. Anderson | N,W,C,E | |
| lancifolia T. Anderson | N,W,C,E,S | Description, Image |
| lathyroides Burkill | N,W,C | |
| oblongifolia Oliv. | N,C,S | Description, Image |
| petersiana Lindau | N | Description, Image |
| racemosa Vollesen | N | |
| reticulata A. Rich. | B | Description, Image |
| schimbensis S. Moore | N,C | Description, Image |
| serpens Vollesen [NrEnd] | N,W | Description, Image |
| sp. A | W | |
| sp. B | W | |
| stellarioides Burkill | N | |
| subcordatifolia De Wild. | N | |
| vossiana De Wild. | W,S |