Infl. various, basically cymose, bracted; fls regular, perfect, or plant dioec.; receptacle cup-shaped; per. with 2 similar whorls of tepals, both either sepaloid or petaloid, or outer whorl suppressed; stamens as many as tepals; anthers diversely dehiscent. Ovary inferior, ovules not distinctly differentiated; stigma 1. Fr. baccate or drupaceous; seeds solitary, embryo large. Mostly hemiparasitic shrubs or trees with lvs us. opp. or whorled, simple, entire, thick, exstipulate (lvs sts scalelike). Widespread family with some 30 genera and 1100 spp. In subfamily there is a calyculus (a toothed or erose rim below the per.). Subfamily lacks a calyculus.