Greek kallos — beauty, karpos — fruit.
Shrubs or small trees, often with star-shaped hairs. Leaves simple, decussate, entire or toothed or scalloped, stalked; stipules absent. Flower clusters in the axils of the upper leaves, stalked and sometimes branched. Flowers regular, small. Calyx tubular to bell-shaped, persistent on the fruit. Corolla 4-lobed. Stamens 4, generally protruding. Ovary of 2 chambers, with 2 ovules in each chamber. Fruit a small, fleshy, often brightly coloured drupe containing 4 seeds.
Seed or division.
Some species have medicinal uses, others have been used as fish poisons.
Flowers regular.
About 140 tropical and subtropical species. Australia has 2 endemic species.
Munir (1982).
Source: (2002). Verbenaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.