Trees, shrubs, or woody climbers; branches sometimes spinescent. Leaves simple, alternate, rarely opposite, entire or toothed. Stipules small, often caducous, sometimes metamorphosed into thorns. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or unisexual, small and inconspicuous, usually arranged in axillary or terminal cymes or panicles. Calyx 4–5-cleft, valvate. Petals 4–5, rarely wanting, inserted on the throat of the calyx-tube, small, usually hood-shaped or involute. Stamens 4–5, perigynous, inserted with the petals and opposite to them; filaments short; anthers often concealed within the involute tips of the petals. Disc perigynous, adnate to the calyx, of very various shape. Ovary free or immersed in the disc, altogether superior or more or less adnate to the calyx-tube, 3-celled, rarely 2- or 4-celled; style short; ovules solitary in each cell, erect, anatropous. Fruit free or girt by the persistent calyx-tube, drupaceous or capsular, 1–4-celled. Seed solitary, erect, sometimes arillate; albumen fleshy, rarely wanting; embryo large, erect, radicle inferior.

A well-marked order, distributed over most parts of the world. Genera about 40; species under 500. The jujube (Zizyphus) produces a wholesome and agreeable fruit, but as a rule most of the species possess bitter or astringent properties, and some are purgative. The 2 genera found in New Zealand both extend to Australia, and 1 of them (Discaria) is found in South America as well.

Tomentose, unarmed. Leaves alternate. Ovary inferior	1. Pomaderris.
Glabrous, spiny. Leaves opposite or wanting. Ovary superior	2. Discaria.