Trees with hollow longitudinally wrinkled branches. Leaves opposite, with secretory canals visible on the lower face. Flowers unisexual, in terminal racemes or panicles with secondary axes very reduced and sometimes accompanied by solitary or paired flowers in the axils of the upper leaves, or sometimes pseudo-axillary on short lateral branches. Sepals 5, imbricate, unequal. Petals 5, imbricate. Male flowers: stamens numerous, grouped in 5 very fleshy bundles opposite the petals; anthers subsessile in several rows on the inner face or on both faces of the bundle, longitudinally dehiscent; disc in the form of a star, with 5 ± clavate branches ending in 5 smooth glands, grooved superficially or pleated-laminated, alternating with the staminal bundles; ovary absent. Female flowers: 5 rudimentary staminal bundles alternating with 5 free disc glands; ovary conical, with 5 incompletely separated locules and parietal placentas; ovules 2–28 per locule, arranged in 2 rows; stigma peltate, sessile or subsessile. Fruit a berry, often very large. Seeds arillate.
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