Robust, arborescent or tufted perennials, with rootstock or rhizome. Stem stout, woody, short or sometimes forming a heavy trunk. Leaves narrow, usually simple, often thick, usually crowded towards apex of stem. Inflorescence racemose or paniculate, sometimes large; branches subtended by bracts. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic; perianth-segments 6, unequal to subequal, ± connate into tube. Stamens 6, shortly adnate to segments; filaments free; anthers introrse, linear, usually dorsifixed, 2-locular, dehiscing by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior or inferior, often beaked, 3-locular; placentae axile; style simple; ovules solitary in each locule, or superposed in 2 series. Fruit a capsule or berry. Seeds few to many, compressed. Genera c. 20, mostly of tropics and subtropics.

Infl. racemose or paniculate, sts large; branches subtended by bracts. Fls bi- or uni-sexual, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic; per.-segs unequal to subequal, ± connate into tube. Stamens 6, shortly adnate to tepals; filaments free; anthers introrse, linear, us. dorsifixed, 2-locular, dehiscing by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior or inferior, often beaked, 3-locular; placentae axile; style simple; ovules solitary in each locule or superposed in 2 series, anatropous. Fr. a capsule or berry. Seeds compressed; endosperm fleshy, surrounding small embryo. Rootstock a rhizome; stem stout, woody, short or sts forming a heavy trunk. Lvs narrow, us. simple, often thick, us. crowded towards apex of stem. Genera c. 20, mostly of tropics and subtropics.