lack distinct peduncles and they appear congested (glomerulate) (figure 11); less common is the 
condition where lateral branches of the inflorescence are reduced to single flowers and then the 
inflorescences look like racemes. In a few species inflorescences are made of only one to three 
dichasia and are strictly paniculate (figure 9). Small bracteoles at the base of inflorescence 
branches are always present but they wither and fall very soon; several species however, present 
conspicuous foliose bracts at the base of some secondary branches, sometimes as large as normal 
leaves. These foliose bracts are also commonly deciduous, but occasionally they persist until 
fruits are mature. The usual position of inflorescences is axillary to leaves (figures 6, 13, 17), but 
often they are axillary to small bracts that fall off soon before anthesis, appearing terminal on 
foliose shoots, or borne on very short vegetative branches axillary to leaves and appearing 
clustered at leaf axils (figure 11), or finally, they can be produced at the base of new shoots, in 
the axils of small bracts that are shed early in shoot developement.. 
Flowers are small and bisexual, urceolate or narrow campanulate, with six erect, usually 
concave, tepals. Fertile stamens are nine, with glands at the base of the innermost three, and the 
staminodes of fourth whorl are well differentiated in a distinct filament and a triangular to 
cordate head (figure 2). The hypanthium is also distinct. As a rule, tepals are about the same size, 
but there are some species where the three outer ones are slightly smaller than the inner ones. 
The two whorls are sericeous on the inner surface (figure 2); only rarely are the external tepals 
glabrous. Pubescence on outer tepal surface is variable; commonly it is glabrous, and in a few 
species it is densely hairy, puberulous, tomentose or hirsute. Stamens are about the same size, but 
the three innermost very often have rather quadrangular anthers and their filaments are shorter 
than the anthers, while the two outer whorls have elliptic to ovate compressed anthers that are 
20 
