Except for some species of the genus Garcinia, these are upper-storey, evergreen forest trees. Most are glabrous, the slash exuding yellow or orange resinous sap or latex. The family is a pantropical one, of about 600 species. No purely decorative species have been introduced. The Hypericaceae may be included as a subfamily.

Members of the family may be recognised by their pairs of exstipulate, simple entire leaves, which are streaked and spotted with resin glands, and carried on branches which appear to be whorled. The flowers are axillary, solitary or in cymes, red or white and conspicuous, with numerous stamens often in bundles. The fruits are large and berry like, and of economic importance.

Flowers ⊕, ♂, ♀ and, often 5-part, though 4-part in Calophyllum etc., when the sepals are orthogonal and the petals diagonal. Anthers mostly united in bundles each opposite a petal and alternating with the stigmata, but free in Garcinia sp., united only basally in Calophyllum and Mammea, and united into a staminal tube in Symphonia, cf. Chapter 18, Meliaceae; present as staminodes in ♀ flowers. An extrastaminal disc is usually present. G(2)–(5)–(8) with the same number of cells and axile placentation, the terminal style sometimes very short; 1-celled with 1 basal ovule in Calophyllum and 5-celled with parietal placentae in Allanblackia.

Pollination The disc in Allanblackia, Garcinia and Symphonia, thought to be staminodal in origin, and the numerous stamens suggest insect pollination, the shape of the flower providing ‘open access’ to short-tongued insects.