Leaves opposite or whorled, simple, entire
Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, with elaborate corona containing hoods and horns, highly specialized pollination mechanism, pollen contained in waxy pollinia connected in pairs to glands, stamens and carpels united into gynostegium
Fruit a follicle, seeds with tuft of silky hairs (comose)
250 genera, 2000 species
Economic importance - ornamentals, livestock poisoning
Diagnostic characteristics: corona, pollinia, fruit a follicle with seeds with silky hairs, milky sap
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