Diminutive of the Greek stylos — column, referring to the touch-sensitive column of united stamens and style.

Annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs. Leaves alternate or in tufts, margins toothed or entire. Flower clusters in terminal racemes, corymbs or panicles. Flowers with sepals 5, fused into 2 lips. Corolla tubular, with 5 lobes, the lowermost lobe small and bent back. Staminal column bent and sensitive to the touch, with a trigger-like closing action, the 2 anthers at the tip depositing pollen on the back of visiting insects. Fruit a 2-valved capsule.

Grown for the tufted habit and delicate flowers, often in rockeries or containers.

Seed, sometimes also by division.

One of the petals (labellum) is smaller than the others; style and stamens fused to form a column.

136 species from SE Asia, New Zealand and Australia, the latter with 110 species from all states but mainly SW WA.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Stylidiaceae. In: Spencer, R.. 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.