Common Name: BELLFLOWER FAMILY
Habit: Annual to perennial herb [tree]. Leaf: generally cauline, generally simple, generally alternate, petioled or not; stipules 0. Inflorescence: cyme, panicle, raceme, spike, or flowers 1; terminal or in axils of leaf-like or reduced bracts. Flower: bisexual, cleistogamous or open, radial or bilateral, inverted (pedicel twisted 180°) or not; hypanthium generally present, +- fused to ovary; sepals generally 5; corolla radial to 2-lipped, petals generally fused, tube deeply divided on 1 side or not, lobes generally 5; stamens 5, free or +- fused (anthers, filaments fused into tube or filaments fused above middle); ovary inferior or 1/2 inferior (superior in fruit), chambers 1--3, placentas axile or parietal, ovules many, style generally 1, 2--5-branched. Fruit: generally capsule, open on sides or top by pores or short valves. Seed: many.
Genera In Family: +- 90 genera, +- 2500 species: worldwide. Note: Some cultivated for ornament (Campanula, Jasione, Lobelia). Subfamilies sometimes treated as families. Positions of flower parts given after flowering inversion, if any. Parishella moved to Nemacladus.
eFlora Treatment Author: Nancy R. Morin, except as noted
Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

Common Name: VENUS LOOKING-GLASS
Habit: Annual; roots fibrous; hairs sparse, stiff, reflexed. Stem: erect, generally 5--40 cm, 4-angled, branches from base or 0. Leaf: cauline, thin, serrate, sessile except lowest +- short-petioled. Inflorescence: flowers 1--several in axils of bracts, sessile. Flower: lower cleistogamous; sepals spreading, narrowly triangular, not leaf-like; corolla rotate, lobes deep blue to blue-violet; stamen base wide, ciliate; ovary inferior, elliptic to obovoid, distal 50% papillate. Fruit: opening by lateral pores. Seed: +- 0.5 mm, widely elliptic.
Etymology: (Greek: 3 teeth)
Unabridged Reference: McVaugh 1945 Wrightia 1:13--52