Shrubs, usually epiphytic, unarmed, often deciduous, often rather succulent. Raphides presumably absent. Leaves opposite, apparently without domatia; stipules persistent, interpetiolar or shortly united around stem, generally ovate, acute to rounded. Inflorescences terminal, corymbose-cymose, many flowered, pedunculate, bracteate; bracts subtending 2 or more cymes per inflorescence enlarged, petaloid, stipitate (i.e., similar to a calycophyll). Flowers pedicellate, bisexual, monomorphic. Calyx limb 5-lobed. Corolla white to pale green, salverform or salverform-funnelform with tube prolonged, inside reflexed villous in throat and on lobes; lobes 5, valvate in bud. Stamens 5, inserted below corolla throat, included; filaments short; anthers dorsifixed, shortly bifid at base. Ovary 2-celled, ovules numerous in each cell on peltate axile placentas; stigmas 2, linear, partially exserted to included. Fruit capsular, oblong-ellipsoid, obovoid, or turbinate, apically prolonged into short beak, septicidally dehiscent through beak or sometimes splitting deeply into 2 valves, papery to slightly woody, with calyx limb persistent; seeds numerous, medium-sized, fusiform, acute to caudate at each end, with hilum lateral; testa membranous; endosperm rich; embryo minute; cotyledon ovate; radicle short.
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