Herbs perennial. Roots long conical, fleshy. Stems several, diffuse, branched. Leaves ovate, subcarnose, midvein prominent. Flowers bisexual, subsessile, small. Inflorescence a thyrse, densely glandular pubescent; bracts herbaceous. Calyx tubular-campanulate, herbaceous, 15-veined, slightly convex, veins free at apex, 5-toothed. Petals 5, purple-red, narrowly spatulate, margin entire, claw attenuate. Stamens 5, opposite calyx teeth. Ovary 1-loculed; ovules 2, anatropous; styles 2. Capsule clavate, thin, nearly unsplit. Seed 1, narrowly obovoid, plano-convex.

* One species.

(Authors: Lu Dequan; Magnus Lidén, Bengt Oxelman)