Shrubs, sometimes scandent, perhaps sometimes dioecious, unarmed. Raphides absent. Leaves opposite, sometimes anisophyllous, usually with domatia; stipules caducous or persistent, interpetiolar or shortly united around stem, generally triangular. Inflorescences terminal on principal stems and/or pseudoaxillary on reduced lateral branches, shortly cymose, several flowered, sessile to pedunculate, bracteate. Flowers sessile to pedicellate, bisexual and monomorphic or perhaps sometimes unisexual. Calyx limb 5-lobed. Corolla white, salverform to funnelform, inside pubescent in throat and upper part of tube; lobes 5, convolute in bud. Stamens 5, inserted at upper part of corolla or at throat, included and positioned near base of corolla tube; filaments short; anthers dorsifixed. Ovary 2-celled, ovules 2 or 3 in each cell, on axile placentas; stigma 2-lobed with lobes linear, exserted. Fruit yellowish white, baccate, subglobose to oblate, fleshy, smooth, with calyx limb persistent or tardily deciduous; seeds few to several, medium-sized, ellipsoid to ovoid, embedded in pulp.
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