Herbs, shrubs or rarely small trees. Leaves opposite, simple or imparipinnate. Inflorescence terminal or axillary or both, cymose or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual; sepals 4, free; petals 4, free, imbricate or valvate, usually pink or white, rarely green, yellow or brown, tip straight; stamens 8 (rarely 4 or 6; see B. parviflora), all fertile (in Victoria), erect, anther connective usually inconspicuous and cream-coloured; disc entire, not swollen; carpels virtually free, lacking sterile apex, styles terminal on ovary (in Victoria). Fruit of 1–4 follicles; follicles not transversely ridged, with rounded apices, seeds released explosively with elastic endocarp; seeds c. elliptic, smooth or minutely tuberculate, shiny or dull, black or grey, dorsal side sometimes flattened.

133 species, 127 endemic to Australia, 6 endemic to New Caledonia.

Boronia as previously treated has been shown to be polyphyletic, with members of Boronia section Cyanothamnus shown to be more closely related to Acronychia and related genera. As such, Cyanothamnus has been reinstated as a distinct genus to make Boronia monophyletic. In Victoria this transfers B. anemonifolia, B. coerulescens, B. nana and B. polygalifolia to Cyanothamnus.

Boronia inornata Turcz. of Western Australia and South Australia was included as a Victorian species by Willis (1973), but the record appears to have been based on misdetermined specimens of the very variable B. pilosa Labill. It is no longer regarded as a member of the Victorian flora.