Shrubs or rarely small trees. Leaves alternate, seldom opposite, often crowded or imbricate, rigid, entire or sometimes serrulate, often longitudinally nerved; stipules wanting. "Flowers regular, hermaphrodite, axillary or terminal, solitary or in spikes or racemes. Calyx inferior, 4–5-partite, or of 4–5 free sepals; divisions persistent;, coriaceous, striate, imbricate. Corolla gamopetalous, hypogynous, 4–5-lobed or -partite. Stamens 4–5, hypogynous or inserted on the tube or throat of the corolla; anthers 1-celled, opening longitudinally for their whole length. Disc surrounding the base of the ovary, cup-shaped or annular, 5-lobed or of 5 separate scales. Ovary superior, 1–10-celled but usually 5-celled; style simple, stigma usually capitate; ovules 1 or many in each cell, anatropous. Fruit either a drupe with 2–5 1-seeded pyrenes or a many-seeded capsule with loculicidal dehiscence. Seeds small, albuminous; embryo straight, axile, radicle next the hilum.

A small order, mainly separated from Ericacecea by the 1-celled anthers with longitudinal dehiscence. It is almost wholly confined to Australia and New Zealand, a few species only being found in the Pacific islands and the Malay Archipelago, and one in temperate South America. Genera 26; species about 325. The properties of the order are unimportant, but many of the species are well worth cultivation from the beauty of their flowers. All the New Zealand genera are found in Australia.

* Ovules solitary in each cell of the ovary. Fruit a drupe.

** Ovules numerous in each cell. Fruit a capsule.