Glabrous annual or perennial herbs. Leaves entire, fleshy, exstipulate. Flowers in lax terminal cymes. Sepals 5, free. Stamens 12-20, outer ones petaloid staminodes. Ovary 5 locular, 5 lobed; ovules many, on axile place¬tas; styles 5, free. Capsule globose. Seeds many.