Vaccaria Medikus

Herbs, annual, glabrous, often growing among grasses; stems erect. Leaves opposite, oblong or lanceolate, connate at base. Cymes large, corymbiform. Flowers red; epicalyx absent. Calyx ovoid-pyramidal, 5-angular; tube winged with 5 teeth, without commissural veins. Petals 5, hypogynously inserted on a short thick anthophore, limb obovate, denticulate with a linear claw. Stamens 10, inserted with petals; filaments filiform; anthers 2-locular, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary 2-locular, rarely 3-locular, many-ovuled; styles 2, rarely 3. Capsules ovoid, 4 or 6-dentate at apex; seeds many, globose, granulate.

Mediterranean region; 3 species, one species in India.

List of Lower Taxa