Trees, shrubs or subshrubs, with simple or stellate hairs or glabrous. Flowers usually hermaphrodite, solitary, fasciculate or in few flowered cymes, terminal, leaf opposed or extra-axillary. Bracteoles 0-2, persistent. Sepals 3, valvate, smaller than petals. Petals 6 in 1-2 whorls, both valvate or the inner imbricate, subequal or the inner ones reduced or absent, free or united at base, thick and coriaceous, mostly suberect or connivent. Stamens numerous, linear or linear-clavate; filament short; anther-cells equal or unequal, extrorse; connective-tip capitate, dilated or ± apiculate. Carpels numerous, ± united, cylindrical, ovule 1, erect, basal. Fruit: etaerio of fused berries, ovoid-globose or cylindrical. Seeds numerous, aril terminal, compressed, annular or fibrillated.