Herbs achlorophyllous, mycotrophic, reddish, purple, or yellow. Stems erect, simple or nearly so. Leaves alternate, reduced, scalelike, not green. Plants monoecious or dioecious; flowers small, unisexual, rarely bisexual or polygamous, actinomorphic, in racemes or subcorymbs, with decurved bracteate pedicels. Perianth segments 3-10, in 1 series, valvate, usually united at base, sometimes appendaged at apex, reflexed after anthesis. Stamens 2-6, inserted at base of receptacle or perianth; anthers 2- or 4-thecous, extrorse, mostly opening by transverse slit; connective often reduced into long subulate appendages. Carpels 6 to many, free; style terminal to subbasal; ovule solitary, basal. Fruiting carpels crowded, opening by a slit. Seed internally fleshy, white, oily, undifferentiated.

Zhou Lingyun & Zhong Xiongwen. 1992. Triuridaceae. In: Sun Xiangzhong, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 8: 190-193.

Eleven genera and ca. 50 species: tropics and subtropics; one genus and five species in China.

(Authors: Guo Youhao (郭友好)[51]; Martin Cheek[52])