Habit: herbs, shrubs or trees
Leaves: alternate, simple, stipulate, usually palmately veined
Inflorescence: various, usually determinant
Flowers: perfect, actinomorphic
Sepals: 5, distinct or connate
Petals: 5, distinct but adnate to stamen column
Stamens: many, filaments connate into a tube surrounding the pistil, anthers unilocular
Ovary: 4-many carpels, connate, ovary superior with 4-many locules, 1-many axile ovules, style 1, divided or not
Fruit: schizocarp or capsule (rarely a berry)