A tropical and temperate family, represented in West Africa by large woody or fibrous perennial herbs up to 3 m high, less often by shrubs and rarely by trees. Most species are deep rooting, withstand drought, and are prominent in drier savannas.

The decorative introductions include several Hibiscus spp.: H. mutabilis (blushing Hibiscus) and H. rosa-sinensis (rose of China, shoe flower) from China, H. schizopetalus (frilled Hibiscus) from East Africa.

Members of the family may be recognised by their alternate, stipulate simple leaves with digitate venation (pinnate in Malvastrum and Sida) with stellate hairs on young growth (scales in Thespesia). Ptyxis is mostly conduplicate, conduplicate-plicate in Abutilon and Pavonia. On the back of the leaf, glands occur in patches, depressions or pits (concealed in small swellings) (absent in Pavonia). The flowers are axillary, five-part and often large, lasting a day only, their colour often changing during that time. The petals are veined or basally blotched, and the column of anthers in the centre of the flower is prominent.

Flowers ⊕ (rarely dioecious) 5-part. The flower is usually surrounded by 3(–13) united bracteoles, adnate to the calyx and forming an epicalyx in Abelmoschus, Pavonia and Urena etc., free from the calyx and forming an involucel in most genera and often associated with extrafloral nectaries (Cienfuegosia); bracteoles free in Gossypium and Thespesia; in Malachra, there is an involucre round each head of flowers, while bracteoles are lacking in Abutilon etc.