Trees or shrubs, deciduous when flowering, more rarely evergreen, pubescent with stellate, simple and glandular hairs. Leaves petiolate; blade 3–5(–7)-palmately lobed, or entire, base often cordate, margin serrate, dentate, or rarely crenate; stipules narrowly triangular, caducous. Inflorescence axillary, pedunculate, cymose, bracteate, subumbellate or dichasial with 10–40 flowers, pedicellate; or epicalycular bracts whorled, usually equal, caducous, rarely alternate on pedicel. Sepals 5, valvate, united at base, triangular, often reflexed, nectariferous adaxially at base, outer surface pubescent. Petals 5, contorted, spreading, white, sometimes red-veined or based, or pink, asymmetrical, dimidiately ovate or elliptic, shortly clawed, glabrous, brown-marcescent. Androgynophore absent; stamens in a single whorl, filaments united in a short tube (but 1.5–1.6 cm long in D. amaniensis) at base, fertile stamens 10–15, in groups of 3 alternating with 5 slightly longer or subequal ligulate-spatulate petaloid staminodes; anthers dehiscing by slits; ovary ovoid to oblate, tomentose or rarely glandular, with 3–5 locules each with 2–8 collateral ascending ovules, placentation axile, style ± as long as stamens, shortly (2–)3–5-branched. Fruit spherical to ovoid, brown, dry, slightly woody, dehiscing loculicidally by 3–5 valves. Seeds 1–several per locule, subreniform or angular, brown or black, not fleshy.