In the nature the family of cutrovs makes over 200 sorts and more than 2000 kinds of various plants. This extensive family two-share in the form of trees, bushes and semibushes, lianas, long-term grasses and even succulents which extended in tropical and subtropical areas of all globe.

Distinctive features can be characterised so: cutrovs have, as a rule, leaves of the simple form. Plants contain lacteal juice and poisonous alcaloids. Therefore hit in a mouth of juice from stalks, leaves and colours of plants can cause not only a mucous membrane burn, but also a poisoning. Flowers are single or collected in inflorescences, same-sex. The majority cutrovs stem shanks and seeds breeds in the spring.