Shrubs to large trees, unarmed, terrestrial, without raphides in the tissues. Leaves opposite, petiolate, entire, with higher-order venation not lineolate, without domatia; stipules interpetiolar or shortly fused into a tube, persistent, triangular, acute, imbricated in bud. Inflorescences terminal and in axils of uppermost leaves, spiciform with several inflorescences often grouped at stem apex, several-flowered, pedunculate, bracts reduced. Flowers subessile in congested cymes, homostylous, protandrous, fragrant, apparently diurnal; hypanthium turbinate to ellipsoid; calyx limb developed, 5-lobed, on some flowers usually with 1 lilac to whitened calycophyll; corolla salverform, pink to purple, internally glabrous or pubescent in lower part of tube, lobes 5, ligulate to elliptic, imbricated in bud, without appendage; stamens 5, inserted in upper part of tube, filaments unequal, anthers ellipsoid, dorsifixed, opening by linear slits, without appendage, variously exserted and included; ovary 2-locular, with ovules numerous in each locule, on axile placentas; stigmas 2, subcapitate, exserted. Fruits capsular, subglobose to ellipsoid, septicidally dehiscent from apex, chartaceous to woody, with calyx limb deciduous; seeds numerous, elliptic, flattened, small (ca. 1 mm), marginally winged, wing entire, seed surfce striate.