Shrubs or small trees, black punctate-glandular generally, the young branches tetragonal, becoming terete with age. Leaves opposite, petiolate; stipules setose. Cymes gathered into axillary umbelliform clusters. Flowers 4-or 5-merous, bi-sexual, heterostylic, actinomorphic. Hypanthium campanulate, not ribbed, the calyx lobes more or less equal, valvate; exappendiculate. Petals inserted at the orifice of the hypanthium, as many as calyx lobes, rose or white. Stamens usually twice the number of calyx lobes, included or exserted, the filaments united at the base to form a somewhat fleshy perigynous ring at the base of the hypanthium. Ovary bicarpellary with a gynophore, bilocular, the placentation axile; ovules many; stigma bilobed. Fruit an indehiscent ovoid capsule,-the style and. hypan-thium persistent; seeds small.
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