Trees or shrubs, rarely suffrutescent and the leaves all basal, all parts quite bitter to the taste. Leaves alternate, usually even-pinnate, sometimes only the terminal leaflet present and the leaf appearing simple; leaflets (1-)4-40, usually opposite, entire, petioluled to sessile. Inflorescences usually large terminal or axillary panicles, sometimes reduced to axillary, few-flowered, umbel-like clusters or to umbel-like panicles. Flowers small to large, 4-5-merous, bisexual; sepals 4-, connate at least basally, imbricate; petals 4-5, free, pubescent, imbricate, more or less spreading at anthesis; stamens 8-10, appendaged basally, the filament adnate to the pubescent appendage only basally to throughout its length; intra-staminal disc conspicuous, elongating in fruit; gynoecium 4-5-carpelled, the carpels sessile on the disc, 1-loculed, cohering or weakly connate axially to form a deeply 4-5-lobed ovary, the ovules 1 per locule, pendulous, placentation axile, the style 1, the stigma capitate to slightly lobed. Fruit a drupe, 1-5 per flower; seeds 1.
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