Xylanche Beck.

Herbs fleshy, glabrescent. Rootstock globose, subglobose, or long cylindric. Stems usually 1-3, erect, unbranched, cylindric, fleshy. Leaves spirally arranged, triangular or ovate-triangular. Inflorescences racemose or spicate; bract 1; bractlets 2 or absent. Flowers subsessile or short pedicelled. Calyx cupular or short cupular, apex irregularly 2-5-toothed; lobes triangular or lanceolate, partly or all deciduous and calyx-tube margin truncate. Corolla bilabiate; tube erect, enlarged; upper lip entire or apex emarginate; lower lip 3-lobed, lobes subequal. Stamens 4, exserted, inserted near base of corolla tube; filaments pubescent at base, glabrescent upward; anthers 2-celled, free or slightly connate. Ovary 1-locular; parietal placentas 2 or 3. Style slightly curved, persistent; stigma 2- or 3-lobed. Capsule ovoid-oblong or subglobose, dehiscing by 2 or 3 valves. Seeds ellipsoid-oblong or irregularly globose.

Two species: China, N India, Japan, Korea, Russia, North America; both species in China.