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.
Flowers often handsome, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic, axillary, solitary to subumbellate
Annual herbs or undershrubs, rarely arborescent; leaves alternate or opposite, mostly lobate, dissected or compound; stipules often paired
Seeds pendulous, with thin or no (rarely copious) endosperm and mostly curved or folded embryo
Fruit lobed; lobes 1-seeded, rarely more-seeded, often beaked, opening from the base upwards
Ovary 3–5-lobed; ovules 1–2 in each cell, superposed, pendulous, rarely more than 2
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
Petals 5, rarely 4, very rarely absent, hypogynous or subperigynous, imbricate, rarely contorted
Sepals persistent, 4–5, free or connate to the middle, imbricate or rarely valvate, the dorsal one sometimes spurred
Sepals (4)5, free or connate at the base, imbricate or rarely valvate, the posterior (uppermost) one sometimes spurred (especially in Pelargonium)
Petals 5 (rarely 8, 4, 2, or even 0 by reduction), free, mostly unequal, hypogynous or subperigynous, imbricate or rarely contorted
Disk (extrastaminal or nectariferous) glands often present, alternating with the petals
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
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
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
Seeds smooth or minutely reticulate; embryo curved, rarely straight; endosperm scanty or absent
Herbs, shrubs, or suffrutices, very rarely arborescent; stems fleshy
Flowers hermaphrodite or very rarely dioecious, usually chasmogamous but occasionally cleistogamous, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hypogynous, generally (4)5(8)-merous, heterochlamydous
Inflorescence usually axillary, sometimes pseudumbellate, occasionally l-flowered, determinate, bracteate
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
Herbs, shrubs or suffrutices, very rarely arborescent
Leaves alternate or opposite, if opposite often unequal, usually stipulate and petiolate, serrate, crenate or dentate, lobed or dissected or compound, rarely entire
Inflorescence usually axillary, sometimes pseudumbellate (rarely 1-flowered)
Flowers bisexual (or very rarely dioecious), actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hypogynous, 5 (rarely 4 or 8)-merous
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
Petals free, usually imbricate, occasionally 4, 2 or 0 by reduction
Sepals persistent, free or connate at the base, usually imbricate, the posterior one sometimes spurred
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
Disk (or extrastaminal) glands often present
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
Seeds smooth or minutely reticulate; embryo curved, rarely straight; endosperm scanty or absent
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.