Acanthopale

Shrubs or subshrubs, branched, pubescent or glabrescent; branches often obtusely quadrangular. Leaves +/-cuneate at base, narrowing gradually into petiole; apex caudate-acuminate; margin +/-entire; cystoliths often conspicuous, at least when plant dry. Inflorescence spike-like, terminal or axillary; bracts obovate, longer than calyx; bracteoles linear to linear-spathulate. Calyx equally to subequally divided almost to base into 5 linear to linear-oblong sepals. Corolla +/-regular, trumpet-shaped with a very short tube, mostly white with pink to purple markings within. Androecium : stamens 4, subequal; filaments glabrous to hairy towards base; anthers 2-thecous, parallel, linear-oblong, at equal height, blunt at base. Gynoecium : ovary glabrous, 2-locular, with 2 ovules per locule; style hairy, one branch linear-oblong, the other very small and tooth-like or absent. Capsule glabrous, elliptic-oblong, bearing 2-4 seeds on retinacula in basal part. Seeds lens-shaped, with many hygroscopic hairs.