Small trees or shrubs, sometimes climbers. Leaves exstipulate, simple, opposite, rarely alternate, glabrous or with simple hairs. Inflorescence corymbose or paniculate cymose; flowers usually perfect and regular, sometimes marginal ones sterile with enlarged sepals. Flowers small, regular, 4-5-merous, perigynous or epigynous, hypanthium somewhat adnate to the lower part of the ovary. Stamens 5 to many, slender. Pistil 2-5-carpellary, ovary semi-inferior or inferior, 2-5-locular; styles free, rarely united. Fruit a loculicidal capsule, rarely a berry. Seeds endospermic.