LYTHRACEAE  

Annual or rarely perennial herbs; stems terete or quadrangular, glabrous. Leaves opposite-decussate or verticillate, rarely alternate, +/- sessile. Flowers homomorphic or dimorphic, occasionally cleistogamous, small, usually solitary and subsessile in leaf axils, occasionally aggregated into terminal racemes or spikes, very rarely in axillary umbels; bracts foliose or scale-like, bracteoles 2, rarely absent. Calyx: tube (3)4-6-lobed; lobes often alternating with cornate appendages; nectaries often present at base of tube. Petals as many as calyx lobes or 0, sometimes unequal, entire, erose or pinnately divided. Stamens 1-6, opposite sepals, arising at various heights in calyx tube, occasionally basal and appearing free, sometimes replaced by staminodes. Ovary sessile or shortly stipitate, incompletely 2-4-locular, dissepiments interrupted above placentas; ovules small and many; style very short to long; stigma capitate or rarely bilobed. Capsule septicidally 2-4-valved. Seeds small, few or many, concave-convex, with evaginating mucilaginous hairs. x = 8 (aneuploids, polyploidy).

Annual or perennial herbs. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled. Inflorescence usually of solitary and subsessile cymes, these sometimes paired or small and whorl-like, sometimes aggregated into terminal spikes. Flowers (4-)6-merous, often trimorphically heterostylous, each flower with 2 bracteoles. Calyx subcylindrical; calyx appendages usually conspicuous, alternating with lobes. Petals usually present, arising near top of calyx tube. Stamens 2-12. Ovary sessile or subsessile, oblong, incompletely 2-locular; style included; stigma capitate. Capsule usually septicidally dehiscent with 2 valves, rarely dehiscing irregularly or by 4 apical teeth. Seeds few to many. x = 5 (high polyploidy).

Small tree or shrub. Leaves opposite-decussate, shortly petiolate, entire, with gland on midrib just below apex on underside of lamina. Inflorescence a large, terminal, compound cyme. Flowers 5- or 6-merous. Calyx: tube campanulate, lobes alternating with short appendages. Petals as many as calyx lobes and alternating with them, arising near top of calyx tube, oblong-ovate, not clawed. Stamens as many as calyx lobes, opposite petals, inserted below middle of calyx tube, exserted. Ovary subsessile, incompletely bilocular; placenta globular and basal; style slightly shorter than stamens; stigma as wide as or only slightly thicker than style; ovules many, small, on basal placenta. Capsule membranous, dehiscing irregularly. Seeds +/- flat, margin winged all round. x = 8 (1 report).