Plants shrubs or tree, glabrous to pubescent, usually dioecious; branches round or angled, usually with spines. Leaves alternate or clustered on short shoots, sith or without stipules; stipulesi, if present, free, rapidly deciduous; blades entire to serrate. Inflorescences pedunculate or sessile, cymose, solitary or clustered and axillary or on branches; pedicels articulated; bracts persistent. Flowers usually functionally unisexual, somtimes bisexual, staminate flowers with pistillodes, pistillate flowers with stamnodes, Sepals 5(-6), imbricate in bud, entire to fimbriate, sometimes ciliolate; petals 5(-6) imbricate in bud, entire to toothed; intrastaminal disks present, often 5-10 lobed; stamens 5(-6), flaments attached to the base of the staminal disk; anthers introse, with 2 thecase, dehiscence longitudinal; ovaries superior but 1/4-3/4 sunk into the staminal disks; styles with 2-3(-4) stigma lobes (may appear capitate on pistillodes). Fruits loculicidal capsules, obconic to globose or pear-shaped; seeds 1-4(-8), glossy, reddish brown to orange; arils mostly white when young, becoming white, yellow, or purple at maturity, basally partially to completely covering the seeds.
Maytenus includes about 200 species, all of which are tropical or subtropical.