Infl. cymose; fls small, perfect to unisexual, regular, us. bracted. Sepals 4-5-(6), distinct or connate at base; corolla us. connate into a 4-5-(6),-lobed tube. Stamens opp. corolla-lobes; filaments adnate to corolla-tube or ± free; anthers 2-celled, introrse, variously dehiscent. Ovary us. superior, 4-6-loculed; placentation often free-central. Fr. drupaceous; seed us. with cop. endosperm. Trees or shrubs with us. alt., simple, coriac., gland-dotted lvs. Widespread family, the number of genera variously interpreted, c. 1000 spp.

Fls perfect, regular, 5-merous, bracted, solitary or in panicles or umbels; stamens opp. corolla-lobes; anthers 2-celled, introrse, dehiscing lengthwise. Ovary superior or semi-inferior, unilocular; carpels us. 5, placentation free-central, ovules few to many. Style with capitate stigma. Fr. capsular, dehiscing by valves, or transversely; seeds with cop. endosperm. Annual or perennial herbs with lvs often all radical or all alt. Subcosmopolitan family with some 30 genera and 800 spp.

Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubs. Lvs exstipulate, often all basal, otherwise alternate, opposite, or verticillate. Fls ☿, usually actinomorphic, very rarely zygomorphic, solitary or in racemes, umbels or panicles, bracteate, usually 5-merous. Calyx persistent, sometimes foliaceous. Corolla gamopetalous, but sometimes split nearly to base, tubular. Stamens antipetalous, epipetalous; staminodes sometimes present. Ovary usually superior, sometimes semi-inferior, 1-locular, with basal, free-central placentae; style and stigma simple; ovules 1-many. Fr. capsular, variously dehiscent. Seeds endospermic.