The Tasmanian species of this family include six native trees or shrubs, about 12 native and introduced herbs and one introduced shrub.

In the four Lasiopetalum species, the 5 petals are tiny (usually red) and fused to the stamens.

In the remaining genera, the stamens are indeterminate in number (usually numerous), and are fused into a tube around the ovary, but have filaments arising from various heights up the tube. These plants usually have abundant stellate hairs and the leaves usually have palmate venation (i.e. several main veins arising from the centre of the leaf base).