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Shrubs, subshrubs, or small trees, unarmed. Raphides present. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, sometimes with domatia; stipules persistent or sometimes with top portion deciduous, interpetiolar or united around stem, triangular to bifid, sometimes with basal portion becoming hardened, sometimes glandular at apex or on short appendages. Inflorescence terminal, thyrsiform to cymose, many flowered, sessile to pedunculate, bracteate. Flowers sessile or pedicellate, bisexual, usually distylous. Calyx limb 5-lobed [to truncate or denticulate]. Corolla white to pink or pale yellow, tubular to funnelform, with tube often curved, variously glabrous or pubescent inside; lobes 5, valvate in bud. Stamens 5, inserted in corolla tube, included or exserted; filaments short or absent; anthers dorsifixed. Ovary 2-celled, ovules 1 in each cell, basal; stigmas 2, linear, included or exserted. Infructescence frequently becoming purple with axes swollen and jointed. Fruit purple to black, drupaceous, fleshy, ellipsoid, subglobose, or ovoid, with calyx limb persistent; pyrenes 2, plano-convex, 1-celled, each with 1 seed, smooth on dorsal surface, on ventral surface with a large concave excavation; seeds medium-sized, compressed orbicular; endosperm fleshy; radicle cylindrical, basiscopic.
Leaves opposite or rarely ternate, mostly acuminate, usually quite thin, shortly to distinctly petiolate, usually glabrous; stipules interpetiolar, ovate to triangular or quite short and broad, sometimes united into a small sheath, entire or with 2 short fimbriae, often with colleters and hairs within the base, mostly persistent.
Flowers hermaphrodite, 4–5-merous, heterostylous, mostly small, in branched panicles, the ultimate elements usually being small heads but in some few species the flowers are pedicellate; bracts small.
Fruits succulent, with 2 pyrenes; pyrenes pale, semi-globose or semi-ellipsoid, the ventral surface often grooved, often with a median dorsal keel along which dehiscence takes place.
Corolla white, pink or purple, sometimes yellow inside; tube cylindrical, hairy or glabrous inside; lobes often winged; venation of corolla often curiously prominent in dry material.
Calyx tube mostly ovoid or oblong, ± ribbed, the free limb mostly very short, lobes triangular or linear but mostly very short.
Ovary 2-locular; ovules solitary in each locule, erect from the base; style included or exserted; stigma lobes linear.
Shrubs or less often small trees or subshrubby herbs, with mostly glabrous or only finely pubescent stems.
Seeds concavo-convex, with a pale testa; endosperm not ruminate.
Stamens included or exserted.
Disk cylindrical, distinct.
Buds often winged.
