Annual, biennial or perennial herbs. Leaves alternate or opposite, pinnately or palmately lobed or divided, stipulate. Flowers actinomorphic, rarely zygomorphic, usually bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, solitary or in umbellate cymes. Sepals and petals 5, free, imbricate; nectar glands alternating with the petals. Stamens 5 or 10(-15), usually in 2 whorls; filaments free or united at the base; anthers bithecous, dehiscence longitudinal; staminodes frequent. Carpels 5, syncarpous; ovary superior, 5-locular, 1 or 2 ovules per loculus, pendulous. Fruit schizocarpic capsule, splitting into 5 one-seeded awned mericarps which separate elastically from a central beak.

8 genera 783 species

Geranium rotundifolium

Pelargonium x hortum