Erect to prostrate or rarely mat-forming shrubs (rarely climbers or small trees), glabrous or with a vestiture of simple or fascicled (2–many-armed) hairs which are sometimes scale-like and may be borne on tubercles. Stems ± terete or rarely flattened into cladodes (in subgen. Pachynema). Leaves well-developed or rarely reduced to scales or apparently absent, alternate (sometimes appearing fascicled when borne on short-shoots) or very rarely opposite (not in Australia), simple, sessile (rarely perfoliate or amplexicaul) to shortly (rarely long-) petiolate, exstipulate, often with intrapetiolar tufts of hairs; lamina entire or rarely toothed or lobed, terete to flat, with margin flat to tightly recurved or revolute (the leaves then often sclerophyllous and ericoid), rarely involute; midrib prominent to apparently absent; apex retuse or obtuse to acute or pungent-pointed, straight or recurved. Flowers sessile or pedicellate, terminal but often appearing leaf-opposed due to overgrowth of the flower-subtending shoot or axillary when terminal to a short-shoot, single or in bracteate, unbranched (rarely branched) pseudo-cincinnae. Bracts 1–many, subtending the flower or borne on or at the base of the pedicel, herbaceous to scarious. Sepals 5, quincuncial, slightly connate at base, usually somewhat accrescent, the outer often differing in shape, size or vestiture from the inner. Petals 5 (rarely 1 or 2), free, quincuncial (when 5), actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic, usually obovate and entire to distinctly emarginate, yellow (rarely white, orange, red or pink), caducous (rarely persistent). Stamens 1–numerous, in a complete to interrupted ring (rarely in 2 or 3 distinct whorls) or in 2–5 groups around the carpels or in a group to one side of the carpels (then erect or curving over the gynoecium); filaments filiform or occasionally strap-like (often stout in subgen. Pachynema), free to almost completely connate when the stamens are in groups; anthers dehiscing by latrorse to introrse slits which may be short and terminal (the anthers then ± porate) or as long as the locules; staminodes absent or present. Carpels (1) 2–5 (–10); ovaries free, erect to spreading, glabrous to hairy or covered with scales, with terminal and usually excentric styles, 1–8-ovulate, the ovules tending to be basal when 1 or 2, marginal when many. Fruit a follicle, rarely on an elongated gynophore; seeds usually ± globular, endospermic, with an entire to fimbriate aril that may be short and basal to completely enclosing the seed and is semi-translucent to opaque-white or (rarely) fleshy and brightly red or orange; embryo usually poorly differentiated when the seed is shed.
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Small ericoid or erect shrubs, rarely trees or lianas, mostly much branched. Leaves spirally arranged, rarely opposite (Madagascar), simple, often with reflexed margins. Inflorescence dichasial, usually reduced to a few-flowered pseudo-raceme, spike or to solitary flowers. Bracts and bracteoles often present. Flowers sessile or shortly pedicellate. Sepals 5. Petals 5(-3). Stamens ∞-3, often partly staminodial, either surrounding the carpels regularly or reduced on one side, free or slightly connate at the basis, introrse, opening with longitudinal slits, rarely with apical pores. Carpels ∞-l, with 15-1 ovules, free. Style filiform, usually curved or recurved. Follicles usually one-seeded. Seed arillate.
Most species are found in shrublands, woodlands and forests, with very few in alpine or desert regions.
Several species, especially Hibbertia scandens, are used in cultivation as ornamentals. The leaves of Hibbertia scandens may have been traditionally used to treat sores and rashes by the Yaegl Aboriginal people of northern N.S.W. (Packer et al. 2012).
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