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Inflorescences mostly in the axils of fallen leaves, appearing before the new leaves, sometimes in the axils of the new leaves; flowers pedicellate, clustered in branched, bracteate panicles; male inflorescences smaller than the female ones.
Female flowers irregular, 4-merous, outer pair of tepals smaller than inner pair; tepals increasing in size and becoming thinly membranaceous in fruit; staminodes absent; ovary ovoid, with a sessile penicillate stigma.
Leaves alternate, usually clustered in terminal rosettes, petiolate; lamina simple or lobed, base rounded or cordate, mostly with a velvety tomentum on the inferior side.
Small to medium-sized shrubs or small trees, dioecious, deciduous, wood soft, juicy; younger branches herbaceous, with stinging hairs.
Male flowers regular, 5-merous, stamens equalling tepals in number, ovary rudimentary.
Achene compressed, enclosed in the persistent accrescent, membranaceous perianth.
Stipules free, lateral, mostly persisting.
Cystoliths dot-like or slightly elongated.
