Annual or perennial herbs with entire, opposite leaves. Inflorescence terminal on the stems and branches. Bracts persistent. Fertile flowers in a group of 3, the outer pair with bracteoles and subtended laterally by 2 modified sterile flowers consisting of a number of strongly hooked spines. Bracteoles sometimes with a hooked awn. Perianth segments 5. Stamens 5, alternating with pseudostaminodes. Fruit a thin-walled capsule. Worldwide: 25 species in the tropics DRC: 10 taxa. |
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| Species | Botanical divisions | Content |
| achyranthoides (Kunth) Moq. | ||
| aethiopica Sukhor. | ||
| carsonii (Baker) Di Vincenzo, Berends. et al. | ||
| cylindrica Moq. | Description, Image | |
| divulsa Suess. | ||
| heudelotii (Moq.) Di Vincenzo et al. | ||
| polycephala Baker | Description | |
| prostrata (L.) Blume [Agg] | ||
| trichinioides (Suess.) Di Vincenzo et al. | ||
| uncinulata (Schrad.) Schinz | Description, Image |