Herbs, annual or perennial [rarely shrublets or shrubs]. Stipules present. Leaves alternate or opposite, palmately or pinnately divided, petiolate. Flowers in cymes, pseudoumbels, rarely flowers solitary, usually bisexual, actinomorphic, or ± zygomorphic. Sepals 5, usually distinct, imbricate. Petals usually 5, distinct. Fertile stamens 5 or 10, usually in 2 whorls, sometimes a whorl reduced to staminodes; filaments basally connate or distinct; anthers 2-locular, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary superior; carpels 5, connate; ovules 1 or 2 per locule, pendulous, anatropous. Fruit a schizocarp with 5 1-seeded awned mericarps which separate elastically from a central beak. Seeds usually with little or no endosperm; embryo folded.

Source: [
• 4
]. 

Flowers often handsome, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic, axillary, solitary to subumbellate

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Annual herbs or undershrubs, rarely arborescent; leaves alternate or opposite, mostly lobate, dissected or compound; stipules often paired

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Seeds pendulous, with thin or no (rarely copious) endosperm and mostly curved or folded embryo

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Fruit lobed; lobes 1-seeded, rarely more-seeded, often beaked, opening from the base upwards

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Ovary 3–5-lobed; ovules 1–2 in each cell, superposed, pendulous, rarely more than 2

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Stamens 2–3 times the number of the sepals, sometimes a few without anthers; filaments mostly more or less connate at the base; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Petals 5, rarely 4, very rarely absent, hypogynous or subperigynous, imbricate, rarely contorted

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Sepals persistent, 4–5, free or connate to the middle, imbricate or rarely valvate, the dorsal one sometimes spurred

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Sepals (4)5, free or connate at the base, imbricate or rarely valvate, the posterior (uppermost) one sometimes spurred (especially in Pelargonium)

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Petals 5 (rarely 8, 4, 2, or even 0 by reduction), free, mostly unequal, hypogynous or subperigynous, imbricate or rarely contorted

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Disk (extrastaminal or nectariferous) glands often present, alternating with the petals

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Stamens twice as many as the sepals, more rarely three times as many, some occasionally sterile; filaments free, usually ± connate at the base, sometimes connate in 5 bundles of 3 each; anthers versatile, introrse, 2-thecous, dehiscing longitudinally; pollen grains of different types, usually 3-colpate or 3-colporate

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Fruit a schizocarp or sometimes a 3-5(rarely 8)-lobed capsule; mericarps rostrate, breaking away from a persisting central column, usually 1-seeded (rarely 2-many-seeded) and dehiscing septicidally

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Ovary superior, syncarpous, (2)3-5(8)-locular; ovules 1-2 in each chamber, pendulous, anatropous, superposed; placentation axile; style present and adhering to the beak or absent; stigmas ligulate, clavate or filiform, rarely capitate

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Seeds smooth or minutely reticulate; embryo curved, rarely straight; endosperm scanty or absent

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Herbs, shrubs, or suffrutices, very rarely arborescent; stems fleshy

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Flowers hermaphrodite or very rarely dioecious, usually chasmogamous but occasionally cleistogamous, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hypogynous, generally (4)5(8)-merous, heterochlamydous

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Inflorescence usually axillary, sometimes pseudumbellate, occasionally l-flowered, determinate, bracteate

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Leaves alternate or opposite, radical ones occasionally in basal rosettes, if opposite often unequal, usually stipulate and petiolate, serrate, crenate or dentate, lobed, dissected or compound, rarely entire

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Herbs, shrubs or suffrutices, very rarely arborescent

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Leaves alternate or opposite, if opposite often unequal, usually stipulate and petiolate, serrate, crenate or dentate, lobed or dissected or compound, rarely entire

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Inflorescence usually axillary, sometimes pseudumbellate (rarely 1-flowered)

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Flowers bisexual (or very rarely dioecious), actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hypogynous, 5 (rarely 4 or 8)-merous

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Ovary superior, syncarpous, 3–5 (rarely 2 or 8)-locular, usually lobed, usually rostrate (always in our area); style present or absent; stigmas ligulate, clavate or filiform, rarely capitate; loculi 1–2 ovulate; ovules pendulous, anatropous, superposed, placentation axile

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Petals free, usually imbricate, occasionally 4, 2 or 0 by reduction

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Sepals persistent, free or connate at the base, usually imbricate, the posterior one sometimes spurred

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Stamens usually obdiplostemonous, twice as many as the sepals, more rarely 3 times as many (some sometimes sterile); filaments usually 4: connate at the base, sometimes in 5 bundles of 3 each; anthers 2-thecous, dehiscing longitudinally, introrse

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Disk (or extrastaminal) glands often present

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Fruit a schizocarp or sometimes a 3–5 (rarely 8)-lobed capsule; lobes or mericarps usually 1-seeded and dehiscing septicidally; mericarps (cocci) rostrate, breaking away from a persistent central column

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Seeds smooth or minutely reticulate; embryo curved, rarely straight; endosperm scanty or absent

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Herbes , sous-arbustes, rarement arbustes.'Feuilles'souvent à 2 stipules, opposées ou alternes, généralement lobées, découpées ou composées, rarement entières.'Inflorescences'axillaires, 1-2-flores ou subombellées.'Fleurs'☿ actinomorphes ou zygomorphes; sépales 5, rarement 4, libres ou ± soudés, imbriqués ou rarement valvaires, le postérieur parfois pourvu d'un éperon; pétales 5, rarement 4, ordinairement égaux, hypogynes ou subpérigynes, imbriqués, rarement contortés; étamines en nombre double, rarement triple de celui des sépales, ± soudées à la base, rarement libres, parfois quelques-unes sans anthères ou avortées; anthères à 2 thèques, à déhiscence longitudinale; ovaires 3-5-loculaires, chaque loge à 1-∞ ovules superposés.'Fruits'composés d'une columelle centrale et de 3-5 méricarpes; méricarpes généralement terminés en un long bec, soudés à la columelle, se détachant à maturité de bas en haut, déhiscents ou indéhiscents.'Graines 1, rarement plusieurs par méricarpe, généralement à peu ou pas d'endosperme et à embryon courbé ou plié; testa membraneux ou subcoriace.\n\t\t\tFamille cosmopolite, principalement des régions tempérées et subtropicales ou des régions montagneuses des tropiques, groupant ± 650 espèces classées dans 11 genres. Au Congo belge, 3 genres, 8 espèces et 1 variété.