Woody climbers, shrubs or trees (up to 40 m high, not in Australia). Branchlets glabrous, papillate or slightly hairy. Leaves usually opposite, rarely whorled or alternate (not in Australia), simple; lamina margin usually entire; stipules absent (not in Australia), reduced to an interpetiolar line (Gelsemium), or when present membranous and small. Inflorescence terminal or axillary, flowers in panicles, dichasia or thyrses; bracts usually present on pedicels, small or large, 1–several. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, homo-or heterostylous (not in Australia). Sepals 5, persistent, free or connate at base or up to one-half of length (not in Australia). Corolla funnel-shaped, usually imbricate, yellow or white (less often cream, orange or red). Petals 5, partly or completely connate. Stamens opposite the sepals; filaments free, inserted at base to middle of corolla tube; anthers tetrasporangiate, dithecal, latrorse, dehiscing by longitudinal slits. Gynoecium of 2 connate carpels. Ovary superior, on thickened stalk (not in Australia) or without stalk, 2-locular; style usually twice dichotomously branched, usually united at base, filiform, terminal. Ovules 1–8 per locule; placentation axile or basal. Fruit a loculicidal or septicidal capsule, usually flattened, 2–4-valved, oblong, elliptic or bilobed and obcordate (not in Australia), or rarely a samara (not in Australia), wings usually absent, calyx deciduous or persistent. Seeds elongate to orbicular, compressed, with wings (usually in Gelsemium) (the wings thin and often at one end of seed) or without wings, 1–8 seeds (c. 8 in Gelsemium) per fruit. Endosperm fleshy (Gelsemium) or bony (not in Australia).
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