Small trees, shrubs, or subshrubs, sometimes unbranched (i.e., monocaulous), unarmed, often fleshy; young growth usually densely sericeous to lanate, hirsute, or tomentose with trichomes drying golden yellow to ferruginous. Raphides present. Leaves opposite, isophyllous [or sometimes markedly anisophyllous], without domatia; stipules persistent or deciduous, interpetiolar, generally triangular or somewhat leaflike, sometimes markedly parallel-veined or-fibrous, entire or 2-lobed. Inflorescences axillary, cymose to paniculate or subcapitate, several to many flowered, sessile to pedunculate, bracteate or bracts reduced. Flowers sessile to pedicellate, bisexual, distylous or monomorphic, at least sometimes fragrant. Calyx limb shallowly to deeply 5-lobed; lobes sometimes unequal on an individual flower. Corolla white, yellow, or purple, tubular to funnelform, inside with pubescent ring in upper part of tube; lobes 5, valvate in bud. Stamens 5, exserted or included, inserted near middle to base of corolla tube; filaments reduced to developed; anthers apparently dorsifixed. Ovary 2-celled, ovules numerous in each cell on peltate placentas attached at middle of septum; stigmas clavate to 2-lobed, included or exserted. Infructescences often with peduncle, axes, and pedicels elongating notably. Fruit indehiscent, schizocarpous, or capsular, ovoid to subglobose, dry, with calyx limb persistent or deciduous, sometimes splitting septicidally into 2 indehiscent mericarps or loculicidally dehiscent valves, these each 1-celled, ellipsoid to plano-convex, each with numerous seeds; seeds small, angled, smooth, often brown.
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