Trees or usually climbing shrubs. Leaves entire, opposite, sometimes exstipulate. Flowers bisexual, in axillary or terminal racemes or panicles. Sepals 5, united, a few with glands at the base. Petals 5, clawed. Stamens 10, obdiplostemonous, sometimes less; filaments connate at the base, anthers bilobed, dehiscing longitudinally. Carpels 3, united; ovary superior, 3-locular, placentation axile, with one ovule in each locule. Fruit schizocarpic, of 3 mericarps which are often winged, or a drupe. Seed without endosperm.