Herbs, shrubs or rarely trees. Leaves alternate, rarely subopposite or opposite, simple exstipulate. Inflorescence usually cymose, composed of one or more helicoid or scorpioid cymes, sometimes paniculate or racemose or sometimes flowers solitary, terminal or axillary. Flowers hermaphrodite or sometimes unisexual, actinomorphic or sometimes zygomorphic. Calyx (4)5(6)-lobed or 3–5-toothed, imbricate or valvate. Corolla (4)5(6)-lobed, imbricate or contorted in bud, tubular, funnel-shaped, campanulate, salver-shaped or rotate; tube sometimes with folds, scales or hairs in the throat. Stamens (or staminodes) as many as corolla lobes and alternate with them, inserted on the corolla tube; anthers 2-thecous, dehiscing longitudinally, introrse, dorsifixed. Disk present or absent. Ovary superior, entire or deeply 4-lobed, bi-locular or spuriously 4-locular, placentation axial, ovules 4, erect or spreading; style 1, terminal or gynobasic, entire or cleft or twice cleft, or styles 2, terminal (Coldenia). Fruit drupaceous with a 1–4-seeded stone or splitting into 4 pyrenes, or of one to four-seeded nutlets; seeds generally without endosperm.