Shrubs or subshrubs, rarely perennial or annual herbs. Leaves opposite or upper ones alternate, stipulate or estipulate. Flowers solitary or inflorescences cymose, racemose, corymbose, or headlike, sometimes paniculate, few- to many-flowered. Sepals 5; outer 2 ca. 1/2 size of inner 3; inner 3 subequal, 3-6-veined, accrescent in fruit. Petals 5, yellow, orange-yellow, or pink. Styles filiform; stigmas large, capitate. Capsule 3-angled, 3-valved, 1-loculed or imperfectly 3-loculed. Seeds many.

About 110 species: N Africa, SW Asia, and Europe, mostly in the Mediterranean region, extending to C Asia, also in North and South America; one species in China.