Annual or perennial herbs, rarely woody climbers. Leaves undivided or more or less deeply lobed, pinnatisect to pinnatipartite, rarely pedatisect, alternate, rarely opposite. Uppermost leaves sometimes united into an involucre that closely resembles a calyx. Flowers single or united to various types of racemose inflorescences, usually radially symmetric, zygomorphic in Aconitum, Delphinium and Consolida, with a single perigonium either formed by petaloid sepals or true petals corresponding morphologically to nectaries or composed of calyx and corolla. Sepals and petals (nectaries) (2-)3-5(-8), rarely more or 0, sometimes provided with a spur. Intermediates between uppermost leaves and sepals as well as between stamens and nectaries or petals frequently present. Stamens usually numerous, reduced in number to 2, in several whorls or rarely in a single whorl. Carpels 1 to numerous, in the latter case arranged spirally on a convex receptacle. Fruit a follicle, often dry, 2 to many-seeded, with marginal ovules or one-seeded nutlets with a single basal ovule (achenes), very rarely baccate (Aclaea).