 All species are herbaceous or semi-woody and possess a fruit dehiscence type that is unique for the family; the splitting into one persistent and one deciduous valve allows recognizing the genus at first glance.In habit, "Virectaria" strongly resembles African Hedyotideae such as "Otomeria" and "Parapentas" but it lacks some diagnostic features of that tribe, viz.raphides, articulate hairs, heterostylous flowers and exotestal cells with only slight thickenings.