Deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs or small trees, usually armed with spines; stems erect to spreading, sometimes hairy when young. Lvs distributed along young main stems, often in fascicles on short shoots along older stems, shortly petiolate, simple, serrate or crenate; stipules reniform and sometimes large and conspicuous on young shoots, persistent, but caducous on lvs of older wood. Fls solitary or fascicled, distributed along stems, those on older wood appearing before lvs and those on younger wood usually appearing with or after lvs, 5-merous, usually ☿ sometimes ♂, sessile or subsessile, showy. Hypanthium tubular, closed at apex. Epicalyx 0. Calyx 5-merous. Petals 5, moderately large, spreading, usually pink to red, sometimes white. Stamens 40-60. Ovary inferior, sunken in the hypanthium; carpels 5; styles 5, fused only at base or up to 1/2 of length; ovules many. Fr. an ovoid to subglobose or pyriform pome with leathery carpel walls and some stone cells in flesh near ovary; seeds many in each locule.