Trees or shrubs. Leaves cordate or ovate-elliptic, entire or serrate, sometimes palmately lobed. Inflorescence leaf-opposed or terminal, several-flowered. Flowers bisexual. Sepals 5, divided to near base. Petals 5, red-purple, abruptly narrowed below middle, lower part deeply concave, glandular, basally connate with staminodes, upper part narrower, spatulate. Stamens 15; filaments connate into tube enclosing pistil; anthers in 5 groups of 3 on outer part of filament tube alternating with staminodes; staminodes 5, apex obtuse, margin ciliate. Ovary sessile, 5-grooved, 5-celled; ovules many per cell; style 5-lobed. Capsule membranous, 5-angular or longitudinally 5-winged, apex truncate, dehiscence loculicidal, apical. Seeds many, with endosperm; cotyledons flat, cordate.

This generic name is sometimes given as "Abroma" (Jacquin, Hort. Bot. Vindob. 3: 3. 1776) but, as explained by Fosberg (Micronesica 2: 150. 1966), Jacquin did not validly publish either that name or "Abroma fastuosum" (Jacquin, loc. cit.).

One or two species: tropical Asia to Australia; one species in China.