Family Description: Herbs or woody climbers. Leaves alternate, entire, exstipulate. Flowers solitary or in axillary clusters, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, usually 3-merous. Perianth in 1 whorl, more or less petaloid, forming a tube, 1- or 3-lobed at the apex; stamens 6 or 12 in 1 or 2 whorls, free or connate with the stylar column. Ovary inferior, 6-locular; placentation axillary; styles usually 6, free or connate to form a column with a 6-lobed stigma; ovules numerous. Fruit a capsule.
Family Description: Shrubs or herbs. Leaves alternate or basal. Flowers hermaphrodite, (2)3-merous. Perianth-segments 6-9, in 3 or 4 whorls, at least the inner ones petaloid; honey-leaves 4-6, petaloid or nectariform. Stamens 4-6, opposite the honey-leaves; anthers dehiscing by apically-hinged valves. Carpel solitary, superior.
Family Description: Trees or shrubs. Leaves evergreen, entire, gland-dotted, alternate. Dioecious, or flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous; flowers actinomorphic, small, greenish. Perianth deeply 4- to 6-lobed. Stamens usually in 4 whorls; anthers dehiscing by apically hinged valves. Ovary superior, 1-celled; style simple. Fruit a berry.
Family Description: Perennial, rhizomatous, aquatic herbs. Leaves broadly ellipticovate to orbicular, with a deep basal sinus, glabrous in European plants. Flowers solitary, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic. Perianth-segments free, numerous, the outer 4-6 more or less clearly differentiated as sepals, the remainder petaloid. Stamens numerous, the outer often petaloid. Carpels 8 or more; ovary superior to semi-inferior; ovules 1 to numerous, scattered all over the inner wall of the ovary. Fruit a rather dry berry.
Family Description: Herbs with or without latex. Leaves usually spirally arranged, variously dissected. Flowers hermaphrodite, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hypogynous. Sepals 2(3), caducous. Petals 4-6. Stamens 2, 4 or numerous, whorled. Ovary superior, 1-celled, 2-celled or imperfectly many-celled; carpels 2 to many.
Family Description: Herbs or rarely woody climbers. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, rarely opposite or stipulate. Flowers usually hermaphrodite and actinomorphic, hypogynous. Perianth petaloid or sepaloid, verticillate. Honey-leaves (petaloid structures bearing nectaries) often present, sometimes infundibuliform. Stamens numerous, usually spirally arranged, extrorse. Carpels 1 to many, usually free and spirally arranged. Fruit usually of 1 or more follicles or a head of achenes.
Family Description: Herbs, small shrubs or rarely climbers, without latex. Leaves opposite or alternate, simple, usually stipulate. Flowers usually unisexual. Perianth 4- or 5-merous, often persistent. Male flowers with (1-)4 or 5 stamens opposite the perianth-segments and inflexed in bud, often with rudimentary ovary. Female flowers often with small staminodes; ovary superior, 1-locular, sometimes adnate to perianth; style simple; ovule 1, orthotropous. Fruit an achene. Seeds usually with endosperm.