Generally armed or unarmed trees, usually deciduous with or without buttressed trunk. Leaves petiolate, digitate with (3-) 5-7 (-9) leaflets, articulated at base. Inflorescence axillary, subterminal, solitary or grouped. Flowers, bisexual, regular, medium to large, pink, white or pale yellow. Bracteoles caducous; calyx cupular truncate or irregularly 3-5-lobed. Petals 5, oblong adnate to the base of staminal column. Staminal column divided above into 5 branches each with 2-3 anthers, anthers 1-2 (-4)thecate, longitudinally dehiscent. Carpels 5, ovary 5 loculed with many ovules in each locule; style filiform, stigma 5, clavate or capitate. Capsule woody or coriaceous, dehiscing by 5 valves, wooly inside. Seeds many, obovoid or globose, embedded in the dense wool of endocarp, endosperm thin or absent.