Shrubs or small trees, with stellate pubescence. Leaves alternate, simple, serrate, 3-7-costate, stipules deciduous. Inflorescence an axillary, few-flowered fasciculate cyme or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic or zygomorphic. Calyx tubular or bilabiate, 5-lobed, lobes erect or patent, glandular within at the base. Petals 5, long clawed, claws sometimes auriculate, two petals usually larger than the others, twisted. Stamens 6,8,10,15-numerous, monadelphous or occasionally slightly connate at the base, column adnate to gynophore, starninodes alternating with the pair of stamens; anther 2-loculed, loculi divergent, often confluent, sessile, extrorse. Carpels 5, syncarpous; ovary supported on the gynophore, straight or spirally twisted, 5-lobed, 5-loculed, locules multiovulate; styles 5, free or somewhat united, thickened and stigmatose above. Capsule woody, spirally twisted or straight, borne on a long androgynophore, separating at maturity into pseudofollicles. Seeds small, tuberculate, endosperm scanty.

A genus of about 60 species distributed in tropics and warm tempeperate regions common in America. Represented in our area by the following species.

Lower Taxon

• Helicteris isora Linn.