Albertisia Becc.

Lianas. Branchlets bearing prominent discoid petiole-scars. Leaves with petioles conspicuously swollen at both ends; lamina ± elliptic, penninerved with 1-2 pairs of subbasal nerves (in Mal. spp.), the lateral nerves running alongside the midrib for some mm before departing from it. Male inflorescences axillary or ramiflorous, cymose or fasciculate. Male flowers with (1 or) 2 outer whorls of 3 minute triangular sepals, the inner 3 sepals connate into a fleshy, corolliform tube with a minute apical opening; petals 3 or 6 (or 0 in extra-Mal. spp.), minute, fleshy; stamens c. 18-24, connate into a conical synandrium, anthers 2-celled, transversely dehiscent. Female inflorescences mostly reduced to solitary flowers. Female flowers (only known in A. papuand) with sepals and petals as in the male; staminodes 6; carpels 4-6(-12 in extra-Mal. spp.), elongate-ovoid attenuated into a subulate style. Drupes radiating from the mar-gin of a swollen, tomentellous carpophore terminating the peduncle, ± ellipsoidal, subcompressed, style-scar close to base, tomentellous; mesocarp granular (when dry); endocarp ± ellipsoidal, crustaceous or thinly woody, surface sublaevigate or slightly wrinkled. Seed straight or only slightly curved, ± ellipsoidal, without endosperm; cotyledons very thick.