Shrubs, usually 1-2 m tall, rarely reaching the size of a small tree, up to 5 m tall, whitish to greyish tomentose except the upper surface of leaves and fruits. Leaves opposite-decussate, (1-) 3-5-foliolate, petiolate; petiole 3-6 cm long; leaflets usually lanceolate, 5-10 (-15) cm long, 1.5-4 cm broad, middle one largest, entire to irregularly denticulate, subsessile to petiolulate (petiolule 5-20 mm long). Terminal inflorescence 10-25 cm long, tapering-thyrsoid; cymes verticillate at nodes, peduncled. Flowers small, 3-5 mm across, usually blue or violet, subsessile to shortly pedicelled (pedicels up to 1 mm long). Calyx c. 2 mm long, increasing up to 3 mm in fruit, persistent, campanulate, 5-toothed. Corolla tube as long as the calyx; limb slightly 2-lipped, with 5, unequal lobes, densely ciliate, up to 2 mm long, largest one obovate-orbicular, undulate or crenulate, the others oblong, smaller. Stamens 4, didynamous, protruding, anther cells divaricating later. Drupe subglobose or somewhat ovoid, c. 5 mm in diameter, usually 4-celled, with 1 seed in each cell.