Herbs annual, diffuse, procumbent, often much branched, with stellate or simple hairs or glabrous. Leaves alternate, or in pseudowhorls, margin entire or with sparse teeth. Inflorescences in seemingly axillary cymes. Flowers pedicellate or subsessile. Tepals 5, persistent, free, usually with white scarious margin, often yellowish on inner surface, often unequal. Petals absent or 1-8(-20), linear, often split at tips. Stamens (3-)5(-20), free or fascicled when numerous. Carpels 3(-5), connate; ovary ovate or oblong, 3(-5)-loculed; ovules numerous. Stigmas 3(-5), persistent, erect, spreading, or curved, linear or oblong-elliptic. Capsule ovoid or ellipsoid, 3-5-valved. Seeds numerous, reniform, each with a short funicle with a long filiform appendage, the strophiole, coiled around the seed; testa finely granulate or smooth.

Glinus herniarioides (Gagnepain) Tardieu (Fl. Cambodge, Laos & Vietnam 5: 97. 1967), described from Vietnam, might occur within the Flora area. It is most similar to G. oppositifolius but differs by the sessile flowers with tepals only ca. 2 mm. Wu Zhengyi (editor’s note) adds that it indeed occurs in Mengla Xian, in the extreme south of Yunnan.

About ten species: tropical, subtropical, and warm-temperate regions; two species in China.