Scaevola

Perennial herbs, scramblers or shrubs, variously hairy. Leaves usually alternate, entire or toothed, mostly flat, sessile or petiolate, usually with axillary hairs. Inflorescence terminal or axillary racemes, thyrses or spikes, or flowers solitary in axils. Flowers strongly zygomorphic; bracteoles present; sepals 5, shortly fused; corolla tubular, usually opened along the anterior slit, fan-like, often with simple hairs and multicellular trichomes in throat, not auriculate, white, blue or mauve (rarely yellow – not in Victoria); corolla-lobes usually equal, winged; stamens free, epigynous, anthers free; ovary inferior, usually 2-celled, ovules 1 per cell, style simple, indusium more or less horizontal, usually with bristles on lips, stigma 2-lobed. Fruit indehiscent, dry or drupe-like; endocarp hard; seeds ovoid, never flattened or winged.