Family is highly aromatic. Yellow or greenish, actinomorphic, perfect or unisexual, small. Inflorescence as cymes, heads, panicles, racemes or spikes. Perigynous or sometimes epigynous. A berry or drupe.
Seed has large, oily embryo.
Endosperm is lacking. Habit is as shrubs or trees, rarely a parasitic herb. Leaves are evergreen or sometimes deciduous, simple, entire or lobed and alternate. Rarely they are opposite, whorled or lacking. Stipules are lacking.