Trees, evergreen, armed (F. dissosperma and F. maculosa) or unarmed. Trichomes simple or compound (fasciculate, stellate, or scale-like). Leaves alternate to opposite, mostly pinnate, trifoliolate, or simple. Inflorescences paniculate, terminal and/or axillary. Flowers bisexual or bisexual and male (plants monoclinous or andromonoecious) or rarely occasional flowers female or neutral, 5-merous. Sepals distinct or basally connate, usually deciduous in fruit. Petals imbricate or narrowly so, distinct, deciduous in fruit. Stamens 5, alternating with 5 staminodes, these similar to filaments of functional stamens or ligulate or rarely lacking. Gynoecium syncarpous, in bisexual flowers 5-carpelled, 0.7–3 mm high; ovary ±globose and often inconspicuously 5-lobed, usually with 5 apical glands around base of style; placentation axile, with an arm of the placenta protruding into each of the 5 locules and each provided with 1–3 ovules on each side (2–6 per locule); style apical; stigma capitate or peltate, 5-ridged and often 5-angled. Gynoecium in male flowers rudimentary, 0.4–1 mm high, conical, turbinate, or pulvinate; ovules poorly developed or lacking. Fruit an ellipsoid, 5-valved and-loculed septicidal capsule c. 2–15 cm long; exocarp woody, muricate or nearly smooth; ventral endocarp lacking; remaining endocarp cartilaginous, glabrous, adnate. Seeds winged, 2–6 per locule, 1–3 on each side of the flattened, much-enlarged placental arms (sometimes incorrectly called dissepiments), which, like the seeds, become free; testa membranaceous, without sclerotesta; endosperm lacking. Embryo straight; cotyledons flattened, elliptic to oblong; hypocotyl considerably narrower than cotyledons.
Most of the species are important as commercial timbers, their uses ranging from railway sleepers and fencing to general building and cabinet-making. Crow’s Ash (F. australis) and Hickory Ash (F. ifflaiana) are especially useful for general building. Queensland Maple (F. brayleyana) and Rose Silkwood (F. pimenteliana) are highly valued cabinet woods.
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