in botany; a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the hexandria clas of plants. The characters are: The calyx is a perianthium beneath, imbricated; The corolla is monopetalous, and shorter than the calyx; the border expanding, eight or ten parted, with alternate divisions; The stamens consist of numerous short filaments, the exterior ones longer; the anthers are orbicular and furrowed; The pistillum has a small ovate germen above; a simple stylos the length of the corolla, filiform and erect; the stigma inversa egg-headed. There is but one species, the theaformis, a native of America.