Shrubs or trees, unarmed; branches sometimes flattened. Raphides absent. Leaves opposite or occasionally in whorls of 3, without or rarely with domatia, with margins rarely denticulate (apparently where scabrous projections form triangular thickenings), infrequently with venation not visible abaxially; stipules persistent or caducous as a whole or by fragmentation, interpetiolar, triangular to pandurate or leaflike (i.e., generally ovate and narrowed to a stipitate base), entire or rarely bilobed, erect and flat to longitudinally folded and/or spreading to reflexed. Inflorescences terminal, cymose, thyrsoid, or paniculiform, many flowered, sessile to pedunculate, bracteate. Flowers sessile or pedicellate, bisexual, monomorphic, often fragrant. Calyx limb 5-lobed. Corolla white, purple, or red, tubular, salverform, or funnelform, glabrous or pubescent inside, with top portion of tube often reflexed at anthesis; lobes (4 or)5, imbricate in bud, strongly reflexed to revolute at anthesis. Stamens (4 or)5, inserted in corolla tube near throat, partially to fully exserted; filaments short to developed; anthers dorsifixed, sometimes with connective prolonged in short apical and/or basal appendages. Ovary 2(or 3)-celled, ovules numerous in each cell on peltate axile placentas; stigma bifid or rarely clavate and shortly emarginate at apex (Wendlandia pendula), exserted. Fruit capsular, subglobose, loculicidally dehiscent across apical portion into 2 valves with valves later sometimes splitting septicidally, papery to woody, with calyx limb persistent; seeds numerous, small, compressed, sometimes narrowly winged; testa membranous, reticulate-striate; endosperm fleshy.
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