Trees, shrubs or herbs. Inflorescences terminal or leaf-opposed racemes (in ours). Flowers bisexual or unisexual. Sepals free, subequal, sometimes reflexed. Fruit of 4-many free or connate carpels, fleshy, ± spherical.
Derivation of name: phyton - plant, lakha - red dye (Persian); referring to the dye produced by the fruits.