Small shrubs or trees, 3-15 m tall, often multi-stemmed. Leaves: petioles 1-7 mm, sometimes winged; lamina obovate-oblong, 12-28 by 4-10 cm, chartaceous, base tapering to round or auriculate, margin serrate-crenulate, apex rounded or short acuminate, acumen 0-5 mm long, lower surface glabrous; midrib prominulous above, prominent beneath, primary veins 10-15 pairs, brochidodromous arching and merging 1-3 mm from margin, prominulous on both surfaces, intercostal veins prominulous on both surfaces, reticulate. Cataphylls triangular, 5-10 by 3-4.5 mm. Inflorescences terminal or ramiflorous racemes, pendulous, 5-60 cm long, with up to 12 flowers; rachis 1.5-2 mm diam., finely sparse-puberulous, longitudinally striate; bracts triangular, c. 5 by 2 mm, mucronate. Calyx closed in bud, rupturing into 2 equal segments. Flowers with pedicels 5-15 mm; hypanthium more or less cylindrical, 3-4 mm long, glabrous or finely puberulous, with 8 wing-like appendages at base; petals white; staminal whorls 5-6, the inner one staminodal, staminal tube c. 3 mm high, staminodia c. 4 mm; disc a thin ring, 0.75-2 mm high; ovary 4-locular, 1-3 ovules per locule; style 2.5-3.25 cm long. Fruits conoid, 3-5 by 2.5-4.5 cm, distinctly 8-winged, wings 12-17 by 6-13 mm. Seeds usually 1, rarely 2, ovoid, c. 3 cm long, fissured, pointed at apex.
Home