North America, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Eurasia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia.

Herbs [shrubs or trees], perennial. Leaves alternate. Inflorescences axillary, terminal, or leaf-opposed racemes or spikes, 5-100-flowered, proximalmost pedicels sometimes bearing more than 1 flower. Flowers: sepals 5-8; stamens (7-)8-25(-30), sometimes in 1-2 whorls; carpels 6-12(-30), distinct or connate at least proximally; if connate, ovary 6-12-loculed; style and stigma 1 per carpel. Fruits either oblate berries, style persisting in ring at apex, or group of lenticular achenes. Seeds 6-12(-30) per berry or 1 per achene.