Shrubs or small trees, indument of simple hairs, sometimes absent. Inflorescences extra-axillary or sometimes leaf-opposed, sometimes fasciculate on woody axes; flowers solitary or paired. Flowers polygamous or bisexual. Flower buds very broadly ovoid to cylindrical. Sepals 3, small, imbricate, free or united at base. Petals 6, in 2 whorls, unequal, each whorl minutely imbricate or valvate, outer petals spreading, inner petals larger, spreading or connivent and concave. Male flowers: torus conical, broadly conical-ovoid, or cylindrical; stamens many; connective apex shieldlike to tongue-shaped, minutely pubescent or glabrous. "Female" flowers: stamens few; carpels many, densely hairy; ovule 1, basal. Styles absent; stigmas ± globose. Bisexual flowers: torus cylindrical; stamens and carpels many. Fruit apocarpous; monocarps 2 to > 20, shortly stipitate, ellipsoid to oblong or ovoid, thin walled, glabrous or pubescent. Seeds solitary, ellipsoid to oblong, smooth, shiny, with circumferential, longitudinal groove.
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