Trees or shrubs. Branchlets usually with unguiculate hairs or subulate scales. Leaves petiolate; petiole scaly or not, rarely long setose; leaf blade tomentose or not abaxially, veins with scales or stiff hairs, numerous lateral veins diverging parallel to midvein, margin serrate. Inflorescences thyrsoid, paniclelike, composed of terminal cymes, solitary or fasciculate, usually scaly, tomentose or glabrous. Pedicels 2-bracteate. Flowers hermaphroditic or plants functionally dioecious. Sepals 5, strongly imbricate. Petals 5, imbricate, usually connate at base. Stamens 15-130; filaments adnate to base of petals; anthers obtrigonal, dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally or poricidally. Ovary 3-5-loculed, with many ovules per locule; styles 3-5, connate below middle, rarely free; stigma simple to discoid. Fruit baccate, white to pale green, rarely red, globose or depressed-globose, usually ribbed. Seeds brown, minute, areolate.

About 300 species: Asia and the Americas, principally in tropical regions; 13 species (seven endemic) in China.