Small to large trees or occasionally shrubs. Indumentum of simple hairs, pubescent to crispate or tomentose. Leaves simple, opposite and decussate, petiolate, the margin serrate or crenate to sub-entire. Glands on the underside of blade in some species, minute, spherical or oblate, sometimes reddish and resinous, visible at u40; domatia absent. Stipules interpetiolar, one pair per node, sometimes secretory and then the nodes and buds varnished, usually caducous. Inflorescence a thyrse, paniculate or corymbose, either terminal, or false-terminal, the apical bud aborted, dormant or vegetative, or axillary and then often small and lax. Pedicels articulated, graduating into hypanthium above articulation, or ± absent. Flowers bisexual or sometimes male, petaliferous, 4-6-, mostly 5-merous (except for gynoecium); hypanthium cup-to dish-shaped. Sepals 4-6, triangu-lar to ovate, thick or membranous, aestivation valvate. Petals 4-6, alternating with the calyx lobes, membranous, the base elongated and narrow, the distal part laciniate; teeth usually 3, acute to acuminate, sometimes irregular. Stamens twice as many as sepals; filaments subulate, glabrous; anthers versatile, usually apiculate. Disc annular and deeply incised into 8, 10 or 12 fleshy and rounded or thin and flattened lobes; lobes ± free or sometimes clearly connate at their bases, sometimes semi-united in pairs. Gynoecium 2-3-carpellate, the carpels fused at level of ovary; ovary superior to half-embedded in hypanthium; styles 2-3, apical, free or sometimes connate towards the base, subulate, furrowed on adaxial side, usually glabrous, at least distally; stigmas terminal, minute; locules 2-3, ovules pendulous, 2-4(-6) per locule in 2 rows. In bisexual flowers, gynoecium well-developed and styles usually out-curving; in male flowers, ovary reduced or ± absent, the styles much reduced or absent, the ovules not developed. Fruit a drupe, ellipsoid or globose-oblate, often somewhat irregular, usually with a small annular depression at base corresponding to hypanthium and margin of hypanthium forming a minutely protruding annular scar with remnants of the persistent calyx lobes at its rim; epicarp thin, smooth or warty; mesocarp fleshy or granular; endocarp usually stony, sculpturing superficial to deep, irregular, sometimes with dark, resinous vacuoles or indentations. Seeds 1(-3).
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