Herbs or subshrubs, covered with stellate hairs. Leaves simple, variously shaped, serrate-crenate. Inflorescence an axillary, few-flowered, umbellate cymes or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, yellow, rarely unfolding; bracts 3, large, variously shaped, usually longer than the sepals, enlarged and peristent in fruit. Sepals 5, united at the base. Petals 5, large, marcescent around the ovary. Stamens 5, alternating with 5, ligulate staminodes, both monadelphous at the base, anther lobes parallel. Carpels 5, syncarpous; ovary sessile, 5-loculed, each locule 1-multiovulate; style small, 5-lobed, lobes subulate, stigmatose on inner side. Capsule loculicidal, 5-loculed, locules 1-many seeded. Seeds endospermous.

A genus of about 60 species, distributed in Africa, Madagascar, tropical Asia. and Australia; only 3 species are reported from Pakistan.

Lower Taxa

• Melhania denhamii R.Br.
• Melhania futteyporensis Munro ex Masters
• Melhania ovata (Cay.) Spreng.

Related Synonym(s):

• Brotera bracteosa Guill. et Perr. = Melhania denhamii R.Br.
• Brotera ovata Cay. = Melhania ovata (Cay.) Spreng.
• Melhania abyssinica A.Rich. = Melhania ovata (Cay.) Spreng.
• Melhania bracteosa (Guill. et Perr.) Boiss. = Melhania denhamii R.Br.
• Melhania tomentosa Stocks ex Masters = Melhania futteyporensis Munro ex Masters