Annual or perennial, usually fleshy or papillose herbs or shrubs. Stems more or less dichasially branched. Leaves opposite, rarely alternate, flat or terete, exstipulate. Flowers mostly axillary, solitary or in cymes, white, yellow, pink or red. Calyx with 4-5 often unequal segments. Petals (petaloid staminodes) many. Stamens many, often villose. Ovary half-inferior, (4-)5-celled, many-ovuled; stigmas 4-5, free or connate at base. Capsule 5-celled, subglobular-pentagonous, depressed at apex, ligneous or fleshy-leathery, opening hygrochastically by a star-shaped slit. Seeds many, minute; embryo curved.