| General Information |
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| Distribution | A genus of 300-500 species widespread in temperate regions of the world. A number of species are grown as ornamentals.
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Habit
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Perennial or rarely annual herbs, in Hawai`i sometimes shrubs, often rhizomatous.
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Leaves
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Leaves alternate, suborbicular, reniform to deltate or lanceolate, margins serrate, crenate, or subentire, the teeth usually glandular, petiolate, stipules thin, distinct or adnate to petiole, usually conspicuous, sometimes divided, persistent.
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Flowers
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Flowers perfect, axillary, 1(2) per peduncle, with a pair of bracteoles usually on the upper 1/2 of peduncle, sometimes morphologically distinct, cleistogamous flowers produced; sepals 5, subequal, margins entire to fimbriate-dentate, prolonged into appendages below the point of insertion, persistent; corolla zygomorphic, consisting of 5 distinct petals, these unequal, lateral ones smaller than upper pair, often bearded, lower one saccate or spurred, usually wider than others; staminal filaments coherent around ovary; anther connective of lower stamens prolonged into an appendage; ovary 3-carpellate, 1-celled, ovules numerous per placenta; style straight, curved, or geniculate, filiform to clavate; stigma terminal or subterminal and anterior.
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Fruit
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Fruit a loculicidal capsule, elastically dehiscent by rigid keels and thin valve walls.
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Seeds
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Seeds numerous, ovoid to globose, testa somewhat leathery, dull, usually with a terminal elaiosome, apex rounded.
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