Most of the family's 80 or so species are halophytic herbs and shrubs restricted to saline, gypseous or calcareous substrates, and thus frequently encountered near coastlines. The family occurs in Mediterranean climates such as parts of California, Chile, and South Africa, with about half of all known species in Australia. They are generally found in arid or semi-arid regions with pronounced winter rains.
Rhizomatous subshrub, with somewhat fkeshy leaves, small white to pink flowers, forms clumps.