Infl. various; fls us. perfect, regular, 5-merous, perig. to epig. Receptacle us. ± hollowed, often coloured and ± fleshy. Sepals us. imbricate; petals us. imbricate, sts ∞.Stamens us. 5-10 or more; anthers 2-celled, longitudinally dehiscent; disk us. glandular (nectariferous). Carpels 1 to many, free or united and adnate to receptacle. Fr. various. Trees, shrubs or herbs with alt., simple or compound, stipulate lvs. Subcosmopolitan, with some 120 genera and 3000 spp.

Herbs, shrubs or trees, mostly perennial, sometimes armed. Lvs usually alternate, sometimes in basal rosettes, often toothed or lobed or compound; stipules usually present, sometimes adnate to petiole. Fls solitary or in a cyme, corymb, raceme or umbel, regular, 4-5-(6)-merous, perigynous or epigynous, sometimes intermediate, usually ☿. Receptacle forming a flat, concave or tubular hypanthium (often called a calyx tube) bearing sepals, petals and stamens on the outer or upper margin. Epicalyx often present. Sepals free or partly adnate to ovary. Petals as many as sepals, rarely 0, imbricate. Stamens numerous, rarely reduced to 1-2; filaments usually free; anthers 2-locular, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary superior or inferior, sometimes 1/2 inferior, with 1-several locules; carpels 1 or more, free or connate, often ± adnate to calyx tube; styles free or connate; ovules 2, rarely 1 or several in each carpel, pendulous, superposed. Fr. of 1 or more achenes, drupes, pomes, follicles, or rarely capsules, the hypanthium sometimes coloured and fleshy; seeds usually lacking endosperm.