Description

Dioecious herbs. Leaves erect. Inflorescence of whorls of 3 branches or 3 flowers; bracts 3. Flowers unisexual. Male flowers: sepals 3, petals 3, stamens 9, abortive carpels c.12. Female flowers: sepals 3, petals 0, rarely present as 3 minute scales; carpels numerous, free. Achenes spirally arranged, laterally flattened with a flange following the outline of the seed cavity on each side, glandular.