Herbs with very short, simple stems; scales few. Flowers without bracteoles, pedicels more than 5 cm long; calyx spathe-like, spit in front nearly to base; corolla tubular, indistinctly bilabiate, 5-lobed,lobes subequal; stames included, one cell well developed, the other reduced to a spur; ovary usually 1-celled, placentae 2 or 4, style slender, stigma peltate. Capsules opening by 2 valves; seeds many.

Antitumour activity (Chai et al., 1992)

For diabetes (Plant infusion); for anasarca due to acute nephritis (decoction).

Chai JG, Bando T, Kobashi S, Oka M, Nagasawa H, Nakai S, Maeda K, Himeno K, Sato M, Ohkubo S. 1992 An extract of seeds from Aeginetia indica L., a parasitic plant, induces potent antigen-specific antitumor immunity in Meth A-bearing BALB/c mice. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 35(3):181-5.