ABSTRACT
This family groups together herbaceous plants, rarely subshrubs, with harsh tector hairs and entire, non-stipulate leaves arranged alternately. The flowers adhere to a pattern of 5, are hermaphroditic, actinomorphic, and rarely zygomorphic, grouped in scorpioid cymes. The calyx is gamosepalous, persistent, with 5 teeth or divisions, and the corolla is gamopetalous and can be tubular, infundibuliform, or hypocrateriform (protrusions called fornices are found on the corolla, which close the tube of the corolla). The fornices can be scaly, papillose or hairy, and vaulted. The androecium consists of stamens attached to the tube of the corolla, and the gynoecium has a bicarpellate and tetralocular ovary and a gynobasic style (more rarely starting from the tip of the ovary). The fruit is formed from 2 or 4 achenes or nutlets (mericarpic fruit), more rarely being a drupe. 1 – 4
