Description:

• Shrublets or suffrutices of variable habit
• Leaves usually with 2 serial buds in their axils, upper bud producing a normal branch, an inflorescence or an inflorescence reduced to a spine system and lower bud producing a branch or a vegetative spine system
• Inflorescence terminal or axillary, dichasial or monochasial cymes, thyrses or single flowers, sometimes congested; bracts and bracteoles sometimes spinous
• Calyx irregular; with 4 lobes; outer lobes 2, large, abaxial one sometimes bifid; inner lobes lateral, small; lobes sometimes foliaceous, sometimes pungent
• Corolla subregular or irregular, sometimes 2-lipped; lobes 4 or 5, obovate, sometimes unequal, often with one lobe much shorter than others; when 2-lipped the upper lip 4-lobed; aestivation quincuncial; tube longer than lobes
• Androecium: fertile stamens 2 or 4; filaments long, often twisted and crossing over each other; anthers 2-thecous; thecae parallel, muticous; staminodes 0-3
• Pollen spheroidal, 3-porate; surface with large reticulations
• Disc deeply cupular, sometimes with 2 awns or sometimes produced on one side
• Gynoecium: ovary with 1 or 2 ovules in each locule; style terete, exserted; style branches 1 or 2, equal or ventral lobe more developed, flattened, disciform, funnel-shaped or very short and broader than long
• Capsule with or without beak, estipitate, with inelastic placental bases; beak solid or hollow
• Seeds flat, with hygroscopic hairs over whole surface
• x = 10 (16, 19) (aneuploids, polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Barleria L.
  • Linnaeus: 636 (1753)
  • Obermeyer: 123 (1933)
  • Meyer: 8 (1968)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species 250, cosmopolitan, mainly tropics
• Southern Africa: Species ± 60, widespread, but rare in winter-rainfall area