Benguellia

Perennial marsh herbs with erect, simple to sparsely branched glabrous stems. Leaves opposite, narrowly lanceolate to linear, narrowing very gradually into a short petiole, +/- entire but shallowly dentate towards tip, acute, glabrous on both sides but with glandular dots. Inflorescences terminal, with numerous 4-6-flowered verticils densely to loosely arranged on a simple straight rachis; bracts sessile, broadly ovate. Calyx tubular at flowering time, 10-nerved with 5 +/- equal, short, triangular teeth; accrescent and narrowly campanulate in fruit. Corolla 2-lipped; tube much longer than calyx, widening slightly towards the mouth; posterior lobe 3-fid, anterior lobe entire, slightly concave. Stamens 4, declinate, shortly exserted; anterior stamens arising at corolla throat; posterior ones at midpoint of corolla; filaments free. Style slightly exserted, ending in 2 short, flattened, rounded lobes.