General: Deciduous shrub; stems glabrous, grooved, 2-5 m tall.
Leaves: Opposite, deciduous, leathery, oval to elliptic; leaf margins toothed, 5-10 cm long; stipules minute or lacking.
Fruits: Capsules; seeds covered by a reddish-orange, fleshy outgrowth.
Notes: The Tokyo (1994) edition of the International Botanical Code listed Euonymus as a nomenclaturally conserved name over the spelling 'Evonymus', which was originally used by Linnaeus.