Shrub or small tree. Leaves alternate, simple, entire; stipules absent. Flowers bisexual, regular, arranged into dense, narrow, whitish elongated clusters on previous year's wood. Sepals and petals 5, stamens 5 or 10. Ovary superior with 2-5 carpels having axile placentation. Fruit capsule, samara or drupe-like, mostly yellow.

A family closely related to the Ericaceae. Specimens in cultivation do not follow clearly the characters of the species and some taxonomic revision of the group is needed.

Seed or cuttings.

Flowers strongly bee-attracting.

3 genera and 14 species from W. Indies, northern S America and SE coastal N America mostly of wet areas.

Thomas (1960).

Source: Spencer, R. (1997). Cyrillaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.