Plants perennial herbs, shrublets or subshrubs. sometimes scandent (scrambling). Leaves opposite, leathery or more or less succulent. Inflorescences axillary or terminal umbles or whorls that are sometimes combined into terminal panicles; bracts small, lanceolate, usually soon falling. Perianth-limbs trumpet- or funnel-shaped, very delicate, white, pink, magenta, or purple; stamens 2-6, unequal, exserted. Anthocarps fusiform or calvate, obscurely 10-ribbed/grooved, glabrous, with 1-several whorls of large, dark, very sticky-gland-warts, those near the top sometimes stalked.
Commicarpus has about 27 species. It is found throughout the tropics, but is most numerous in northeast Africa. The genus is sometimes included in Boerhavia.
Note: GBIF records include introduced and cultivated plants. Consequently, the distribution shown often differs from statements about a taxon's native distribution.