Description:

• Herbs or shrubs
• Inflorescence terminal or axillary, thyrses, monochasial cymes, spikes or solitary flowers in axils; bracts usually small; bracteoles minute or 0, rarely longer than calyx
• Calyx regular, usually hairy; lobes 5; tube shorter than lobes
• Corolla subregular or ± 2-lipped; lobes 5, ovate or oblong; aestivation ascending; rugula indistinct; tube longer than lobes, inflated upwards, curved, with oblique mouth
• Androecium: fertile stamens 4, didynamous; filaments arising in pairs in corolla tube, usually included, linear; anthers 2-thecous; thecae parallel, muticous; staminodes 0
• Pollen prolate, 3-colporate, with pseudocolpi; surface reticulate
• Disc cupular
• Gynoecium: ovary ovate or oblong, with 2 ovules in each locule; style terete, included, running in rugula; style branches 2, equal (occasionally unequal) or ventral lobe more developed, cylindriform, expanded or sometimes very short, broader than long
• Capsule stalked, laterally flattened, slightly beaked, stipitate, with inelastic placental bases
• Seeds laterally compressed, irregularly obovate, rimmed; surface rough and convolute or rugose
• x = 13 (14) (aneuploids, polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Asystasia Blume
  • Blume: 796 (1826)
  • Clarke: 41 (1901)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species ± 70, Africa to East Indies and Australia
• Southern Africa: Species 8, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland and northern and eastern provinces of South Africa