Annual or perennial .herbs, somewhat fleshy, often glaucous. Leaves alternate; stipules small, scarious. Flowers small, in terminal, capitate or corymbose, cymes. Sepals 5, free, obtuse, keeled, with scarious margin, persistent. Petals 5, white, entire. Stamens 5. Ovary 1-celled with 3-4 incomplete septa, many-ovuled, ovoid-trigonous. Styles 3, recurved. Capsule incompletely 3-4-celled, 3-4-valved, included in calyx. Seeds many, globular or reniform; embryo almost annular, surrounding endosperm.