1. Habit: Plant herbaceous, shrub or tree. Small parts are slippery.
2. Root: Main root system.
3. Stem: Stem is fibrous, branched and cylindrical.
4. Leaves: Leaves simple, alternate, with reticulate veins and free lateral leaflets present.
5. Inflorescence: single (cymose).
6. Flower: Flowers single, large, entire, unisexual, bisexual and sterile.
7. Sepals: Sepals 3-10, free or connate. (Not used in Sida, Abutilon).
8. Petals 5, free or connate and valvate.
9. Petals: Petals 5, free, connate with stamens and twisted.
10. Androecium: Stamens numerous, clustered and grouped. Anthers are unicellular and ovate. Pollen large and spiny.
11. Gynoecium: Uterus superior, 5-chambered, carpels 5-10 and jointed. The number of fetuses is equal to or twice the number of fetuses. 15-20 carpels in Abutilon and many carpels in Malva.
12. Placentation: Axial.
13. Fruit: Capsule. Sometimes a berry or psycocarp.
14. Seed: The seed is hairy, scaly, oily and kidney-shaped.