Cliffortia is a genus of plants that has been assigned to the rose family, with currently 132 known species. Its species can be found in southern Africa, particularly in the Cape Floristic Region. Cliffortia species are mostly upright shrubs, but some species develop into small trees of up to 5 m high. The stipules have merged with the base of the leaf and form a sheath around the branch. Leaflets may be thin or leathery, broad to needle-shaped, with the margin serrated or entire, and may have a spiny tip. Cliffortia has separate male and female flowers in the leaf axils, which are mostly set individually but sometimes in clusters. One or two achenes may develop in each flower, within the inflating calyx.