Trees or shrubs, deciduous. Branches unarmed. Axillary winter buds 1 or 3, lateral buds flower buds, central bud a leaf bud; terminal winter buds present. Stipules soon caducous, margin serrulate, teeth often gland-tipped. Leaves simple, alternate or fascicled on short branchlets, conduplicate when young; petiole usually with 2 apical nectaries or nectaries sometimes at base of leaf blade margin; leaf blade margin singly or doubly serrate, rarely serrulate. Inflorescences axillary, fasciculate-corymbose or 1-or 2-flowered, base often with an involucre formed by floral bud scales. Flowers opening before or at same time as leaves, pedicellate, with persistent scales or conspicuous bracts. Hypanthium campanulate or tubular. Sepals 5, reflexed or erect. Petals 5, white or pink. Stamens 15–50, inserted on or near rim of hypanthium. Carpel 1. Ovary superior, 1-loculed, hairy or glabrous; ovules 2, collateral, pendulous. Style terminal, elongated, hairy or glabrous; stigma emarginate. Fruit a drupe, glabrous, not glaucous, without a longitudinal groove. Mesocarp succulent, not splitting when ripe; endocarp globose to ovoid, smooth or ± rugose.