Description:

• Annual or perennial herbs, shrublets, rarely shrubs; branches ± 4-angled
• Leaves opposite, ± decussate, rarely ternate or alternate (spiral), sessile or shortly petiolate
• Inflorescence basically a cyme, this variously condensed, reduced or aggregated, often capituliform and subtended by large bracts at base, sometimes flowers solitary
• Flowers 4-, 5-, or 6-merous, sometimes distylous or tristylous, bibracteolate
• Calyx: tube variously shaped; lobes alternating with conical calyx appendages, these sometimes 0 or up to as long as lobes
• Petals 0 or as many as calyx lobes, caducous
• Stamens 4-12, arising on calyx tube, in 1 or 2 series, subequal or long and short stamens alternating, included or exserted
• Ovary 2-5-locular, sessile; style nearly absent to much longer than calyx
• Capsule globose to ellipsoid, opening by an apical operculum, lower part dehiscing irregularly later
• Seeds many, small, concave-convex, without inflating wing
• x = 10 (1 report, polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Nesaea Kunth
  • Kunth: 151 (1823)
  • Sonder: 517 (1862)
  • Immelman: 41 (1991)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species 50-70, widespread, mostly Africa and Madagascar, a few in tropical Asia, Australia, North and Central America
• Southern Africa: 27 species, 4 varieties and 1 forma