Perennial herbs. Leaves opposite, simple, entire to crenate-serrate. Flowers solitary or in 2-3-flowered cymes. Calyx 5-lobed; lobes longer than tube. Corolla 2-lipped; tube cylindric or slightly widened above; upper lip 2-lobed; lower lip 3-lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous; anthers 2-thecous. Capsule rostrate, downwardly directed in fruit. Comment: The placing of this genus in Linderniaceae is highly provisional. In a recent revision all Madagascan species were found to be more closely related to hemiparasitic genera and are now placed in the genus Nesogenus within Orobanchaceae. This however is not true for the African continental species. Since these have as yet not been studied further their closest taxonomic associations are unclear and their status remains unresolved for the time being. Worldwide: c. 8 species in Africa. Zimbabwe: 3 taxa. |