Deciduous to evergreen shrubs or small trees, not armed; stems erect, arching, prostrate or decumbent, often tomentose when young. Lvs distributed along stems and often 2-ranked and distichous, or clustered on short shoots, simple, entire or serrulate, usually coriaceous; stipules small, persistent. Fls in small cymes, corymbs or fascicles, rarely solitary, 2-5-merous, pedicellate, moderately small but often showy, ☿. Hypanthium tubular, closed at apex. Epicalyx 0. Calyx 2-5-merous; sepals short. Petals usually 5, suborbicular to obovate, spreading or erect, white to red. Stamens c. 20. Ovary semi-inferior or inferior, sunken in the hypanthium; carpels 2-5, ventrally free, the walls becoming woody; styles 2-5; ovules 2 per locule. Fr. small and pome-like, globose to turbinate, red, orange, yellow or black, with mealy flesh and 2-5 bony nutlets, with persistent sepals at apex; seeds 1 per nutlet.