Trees, shrubs or lianes, usually aromatic. Lvs alternate, entire, exstipulate. Fls in fascicles, panicles or sometimes solitary, usually ☿, actinomorphic; receptacle flat to conic. Sepals (2)-3, free or united, deciduous or persistent, ± valvate, green, yellow or purplish. Petals usually 6, rarely 3-4, in 2 rows, valvate or imbricate in each whorl, sometimes outer valvate and inner somewhat imbricate, of similar colour to sepals. Stamens usually numerous, rarely few, spirally arranged; filaments very short and thick, or 0; anthers 2-locular, adnate to connective and often hidden by it, nearly always extrorse. Ovary superior; carpels few to numerous, usually free. Ovules 1-numerous; placentation basal or parietal; styles thick, short, usually free. Fr. of stalked, free carpels, or more rarely carpels united and fr. with 1-many locules, dry or succulent, usually indehiscent. Seeds with abundant ruminate endosperm, often arillate; embryo minute.