Basella
Content
Description
Glabrous vines or herbs; stems sometimes succulent; rhizomes without tubers. Leaves sessile or shortly petiolate, succulent. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, erect spikes or panicles; rachis often thick, fleshy; flowers sessile; bracteoles 4, unequal. Flowers almost always cleistogamous; tepals 5, pink, red or white, basally connate, imbricate, urceolate, fleshy and enlarging in fruit; stamens 5, filaments straight in bud, anthers dorsifixed, extrorse; styles 3. Fruit baccate, fleshy, maroon or black; seed subglobose.