Plant Description

The leaves are entire with short and usually stout stalks, nearly always glabrous on the upper surface but variously hairy beneath. The stipules are sometimes prominent but often fall off early. A pair of small glands at the base of the leaf blade or on the stalk is a very common feature. The flowers have a deeply tubular calyx, numerous stamens, sometimes reaching 3cm in length, five rounded sepals. The flowers are usually white. The fruits are up to 5cm long, usually containing two seeds surrounded by hard shell, leaves rounded at the apex. (Ogbochukwu, 2005.)