Fls in open to congested cymes or fascicles to solitary, perfect to unisexual, 4-5-merous, us. regular; calyx lobed to truncate, sts absent; corolla gamopetalous. Stamens inserted on corolla-tube alt. with lobes; anthers 2-celled, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary us. inferior, us. 2-loculed; fr. dry or succulent, endosperm us. cop. Trees, shrubs and herbs with opp. decussate entire or rarely toothed stipulate lvs. Stipules intra- or inter-petiolar, often lflike. Subcosmopolitan, with some 400 genera and over 5000 spp.

Trees, shrubs, climbers, less commonly herbs. Lvs simple, opposite, usually entire; stipules between petioles or between the petiole and axis, sometimes fused and sheathing, sometimes leaflike and forming a pseudo-whorl with the true lvs. Fls usually in bracteate cymes forming compound fascicles or panicles, sometimes solitary, ± actinomorphic, usually ☿, sometimes unisexual (plants dioecious), often heterostylous. Calyx tube adnate to ovary; lobes 4-5-(6), often appearing as distinct sepals, sometimes 0. Corolla ± tubular; lobes 4-5-(10), contorted, imbricate or valvate in bud. Stamens as many as corolla lobes, alternate with them, epipetalous. Ovary inferior, (1)-2-many-celled with axile, basal or apical placentation. Ovules 1-many in each cell; style simple; stigma capitate or lobed. Fr. usually a capsule, berry, or drupe, sometimes a schizocarp. Seed occasionally winged; endosperm copious.