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Shrubs or rarely small trees, sometimes foetid (usually not in the Flora area), glabrous to hairy or strigose. Leaves opposite, mostly acuminate, thin to coriaceous, petiolate, usually with numerous arching lateral nerves and close venation; stipules interpetiolar, usually broadly triangular or lanceolate, not divided, persistent or deciduous. Flowers hermaphrodite or sometimes unisexual, sometimes heterostylous, mostly small, mostly in sessile axillary fascicles or glomerules or less often in pedunculate, simple or branched inflorescences; pedicels mostly absent; bracts present, usually small. Calyx-tube subglobose, ovoid, oblong or urceolate; limb 3–6-toothed or lobed, persistent. Corolla often white or pink, salver-shaped or somewhat funnel-shaped; tube densely hairy at the throat; lobes 4–6, spreading or ± erect. Stamens 4–6, inserted in the throat of the corolla; filaments very short; anthers ± dorsifixed near their base, included or shortly exserted. Disc swollen and fleshy. Ovary 4–12-locular; ovules solitary in each locule, erect from the base, bent, anatropous; style short or elongate, glabrous or hairy, shortly 4–10-lobed at the apex, the lobes linear or obtuse. Fruits ± succulent, very often blue but sometimes pink, purple, white or black, with 4–12 pyrenes; pyrenes cartilaginous or bony, segment-shaped or pyriform, ± 3-angled with flat sides, the dorsal curved face often grooved, keeled or winged, 1-seeded. Seeds narrowly oblong, curved, with membranous testa and fleshy albumen.
Flowers hermaphrodite or sometimes unisexual, sometimes heterostylous, mostly small, mostly in sessile axillary fascicles or glomerules or less often in pedunculate, simple or branched inflorescences; pedicels mostly absent; bracts present, usually small.
Fruits ± succulent, very often blue but sometimes pink, purple, white or black, with 4–12 pyrenes; pyrenes cartilaginous or bony, segment-shaped or pyriform, ± 3-angled with flat sides, the dorsal curved face often grooved, keeled or winged, 1-seeded.
Leaves opposite, mostly acuminate, thin to coriaceous, petiolate, usually with numerous arching lateral nerves and close venation; stipules interpetiolar, usually broadly triangular or lanceolate, not divided, persistent or deciduous.
Ovary 4–12-locular; ovules solitary in each locule, erect from the base, bent, anatropous; style short or elongate, glabrous or hairy, shortly 4–10-lobed at the apex, the lobes linear or obtuse.
Stamens 4–6, inserted in the throat of the corolla; filaments very short; anthers ± dorsifixed near their base, included or shortly exserted.
Corolla often white or pink, salver-shaped or somewhat funnel-shaped; tube densely hairy at the throat; lobes 4–6, spreading or ± erect.
Shrubs or rarely small trees, sometimes foetid (usually not in Africa), glabrous to hairy or strigose.
Calyx tube subglobose, ovoid, oblong or urceolate; limb 3–6-toothed or lobed, persistent.
Seeds narrowly oblong, curved, with membranous testa and fleshy albumen.
Disk swollen and fleshy.
