Herbs annual or perennial; stem straggling or erect, much branched, swollen at nodes, terete, pilose to tomentose; leaves opposite-decussate, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate at apex, mucronate, cuneate at base; petioles short; flowers in sessile or stalked clusters, perfect or imperfect, latter reduced to awns, bearing stellately spreading hooked bristles; bracts-bracteoles lanceolate, very broad, membranous; tepals sepaloid, oblong or ovate to lanceolate, dull green, densely woolly outside, 3 nerved, inner three terminating in 5-18 setae; stamens 5; filament nearly free below, anther 2-celled, staminodes absent; ovary with solitary, pendulous ovule, style slender, stigma capitate; utricles, obovoid, globose, indehiscent, covered with spines; seeds orbicular, compressed, smooth, shining black or dark brown.