Herbs, shrubs, trees or climber; indumentum usually stellate; stems often fibrous. Leaves alternate, simple or lobed, usually palmately 3-7-veined from base, sometimes pinnately veined; stipulate. Monoecious, rarely dioecious; flowers axillary, solitary, or in 2-many-flowered, terminalor axillary racemes or panicles, bisexual, rarely unisexual, actinomorphic; usually subtended by an epicalyx of 3-many, free or connate, segments. Calyx of 4(-5)+/-connate sepals;epicalyx present or absent. Petals 5, free, adnate to base of staminal column.Stamens with filaments united around style into staminal column, bearing pollen throughout or divided at apex into numerous filaments or 5-many-branches. Ovary superior, 2-many-celled; style simple or 2-many branched.Fruit a loculicidally dehiscent,rarely indehiscent capsule, or schizocarpic, consisting of 5-many mericarps around a central columella.