Argythamnia P.Browne

Herbs, subshrubs, or shrubs [trees], annual or perennial, monoecious or dioecious; hairs usually malpighiaceous (appressed and attached by the middle), sometimes unbranched [stellate], rarely absent; latex absent. Leaves drought deciduous or persistent, alternate, simple; stipules present, persistent or deciduous; petiole absent or present, glands usually absent (tack-shaped glands along length in A. adenophora); blade unlobed, margins entire or serrate-dentate, laminar glands absent; venation palmate (3-or 5-veined), secondary veins arcuate, not closely spaced. Inflorescences unisexual or bisexual (pistillate flowers proximal, staminate distal), axillary, racemes; glands subtending each bract 0. Pedicels present. Staminate flowers: sepals [4–]5, valvate, distinct; petals [4–]5, distinct, free or adnate to androphore, white, sometimes pale yellow-green or pale purple proximally; nectary extrastaminal, [4–]5 glands; stamens [4–](7–)10[–12] in [1–]2 whorls, connate proximally forming androphore; staminodes 0–5, at apex of androphore; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers: sepals 5, distinct; petals usually 5, sometimes rudimentary or 0, distinct, white, sometimes pale yellow-green or pale purple proximally; nectary 5 glands; pistil 3(–4)-carpellate; styles 3, distinct or connate proximally, 2-fid, branches 6 per flower, [2 times 2-fid]. Fruits capsules, not muricate. Seeds globose to ovoid; caruncle absent [present].