Trees or shrubs, the wood hard, the indumentum mostly stellate. Leaves alter-nate, distichous, shortly petiolate, the stipules 2, glandular near the base within, deciduous; blade equilateral or subasymmetrical, the margins entire to irregularly denticulate-serrate, membranous to coriaceous, epunctate. Flowers often showy, axillary, solitary to 4-fasciculate, , heterostylous, pedicellate, the pedicels articu-lated and bracteolate at the base; sepals 5, quincuncial, nearly free, petaloid, spreading at maturity, erect after anthesis, deciduous or persistent; petals none; stamens 30-70, inserted in 2-3 series at the apex of the very short calyx tube, free or nearly so, subequal, the anthers attached above the base, oblong to linear, to 9 mm long, often conspicuously mucronate at the apex, introrse, longitudinally dehiscent; pollen smooth, with a single longitudinal colpus; disc coroniform, urceolate; ovary superior, sessile or manifestly stipitate, 1-locular, with 3-9 parietal placentas; ovules oo, many-seriate, anatropous; style short to long, entire or 3-9-fid at apex, the stigmas capitellate. Fruits capsular, ultimately valvately dehiscent, 1-locular, many-seeded; seeds small, arillate, hispidulous with scattered stellate hairs; endosperm copious; embryo straight; cotyledons flat and thin.
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