Perennial herbs or subshrubs, unarmed; stems sometimes becoming corky. Raphides present. Leaves opposite, sometimes anisophyllous, apparently without domatia; stipules persistent, interpetiolar, triangular to leaflike, often reflexed, acute to bifid. Inflorescences terminal, pseudoaxillary [or sometimes axillary, Mouretia vietnamensis Tange], capitate, subcapitate, or congested-cymose, several to many flowered, subsessile to pedunculate, bracteate. Flowers sessile to pedicellate, bisexual, distylous, sometimes fused by their ovaries. Calyx limb 5-lobed. Corolla white, yellow, or pink, tubular-funnelform to salverform, inside densely pubescent at middle and sometimes through throat; lobes 5, valvate in bud. Stamens 5, inserted near middle of corolla tube, included with anthers positioned near middle of corolla tube in long-styled form, exserted in short-styled form; filaments short or reduced in long-styled form, well developed in short-styled form; anthers dorsifixed near base. Ovary 2-celled, ovules numerous in each cell on axile placentas; disk puberulent; stigma 2-lobed, exserted in long-styled form, included in short-styled form. Fruit capsular, obconic to subglobose, dehiscent through apical portion or operculum inside persistent calyx limb, thinly to thickly papery; seeds numerous, small, angled.
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