Perianth 4-5-merous; sep persistent, often unequal, sometimes only 2 fully developed; pet convolute, typically yellow, occasionally more orange or coppery; stamens 5 to more often ±numerous, distinct or ±connate at base, often into 3 or 5 definite bundles; no hypogynous glands; ovary 2-5-carpellate, unilocular or partly or wholly plurilocular, often with intruded partial partitions; styles persistent, often connate below; fr capsular; seeds short-cylindric, areolate; herbs or shrubs with cymose (rarely solitary) fls. (Ascyrum, Sarothra) 400, mainly N. Temp.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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