Crabbea

Perennial herbs, sometimes with decumbent stems or acaulescent. Leaves entire to faintly crenate or toothed. Inflorescence terminal or axillary, dichasial cymes, congested, sometimes peduncled heads; bracts foliaceous, ovate, weakly spinescent on margins; lower bract large, sterile; bracteoles slender or 0. Calyx subregular; lobes 5, with one slightly longer than others or two laterals shorter than others; tube shorter than lobes. Corolla +/- 2-lipped; upper lip 2-lobed, lower 3-lobed; lobes semiorbicular or obovate; aestivation quincuncial; tube longer than lobes, usually with 2 large gibbosities at base. Androecium: fertile stamens 4, didynamous; filaments arising in pairs in lower portion of corolla tube, linear; anthers 2-thecous; thecae parallel or subparallel, sometimes ciliate, muticous; staminodes 0. Pollen spheroidal, 3-porate; surface with large reticulations. Disc cupular, with V-shaped slit. Gynoecium: ovary with 2-4 ovules in each locule; style terete, articulated on ovary, included; style branch 1, ventral lobe expanded. Capsule +/- cylindric, estipitate, with inelastic placental bases. Seeds flattened, with hygroscopic hairs over whole surface. x = 6 or 7 (1 report, polyploidy).