Usually glabrous evergreen trees and shrubs. Leaves opposite, mostly distinctly petiolate, often rather coriaceous. Stipules intrapetiolar, joined, the sheath distinctly leafy or truncate or with 4-many setae. Inflorescences cymose, terminal, usually many-flowered, ± capitate to laxly paniculate; bracts and bracteoles present, the latter often adnate to the calyx. Flowers often (but apparently not always) heterostylous but not always with anthers well-exserted. Calyx tube globose, obovoid or ovoid, the limb campanulate, ± truncate or 5-lobed. Corolla mostly sweet-scented, funnel-shaped or ± salver-shaped, the tube usually elongate and cylindrical but sometimes shorter than the limb; lobes 5, valvate. Stamens inserted beneath the throat; anthers linear, included. Ovary superior, bilocular with one erect ovule in each locule; style filiform, sometimes thickened and puberulous towards the apex, with 2 linear stigmatic lobes. Fruit globose, obovoid, oblong-ellipsoid or fusiform, smooth or ribbed, indehiscent, ± fleshy. Pyrenes and seeds similarly shaped, globose to fusiform; albumen copious; embryo small, erect.