Habit: herbs, shrubs, rarely trees,often with milky sap
Leaves: alternate, opposite, rarely whorled, simple or pinnately dissected, estipulate
Inflorescence: various or solitary
Flowers perfect, actinomorphic, or zygomorphic
Sepals: 2,3, or 4, distinct, cauducous
Petals: 4,6,8 (12-16), distinct, often crumpled
Stamens: many (4-12), distinct, spirally attached
Ovary: 2-many carpels, connate, ovary with 1 locule and many parietal ovules, styles 1-many or stigma 1 and sessile
Fruit: capsule or rarely a cluster of indehiscent follicles