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Monoecious or apparently dioecious shrubs or small trees with or without a simple indumentum, often blackening on drying. Cataphylls present, as in Phyllanthus (q.v.). Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate, stipulate, simple, entire, penninerved, arranged on shoots of limited growth (plagiotropic). Flowers axillary, the males fasciculate or solitary in the proximal axils, the females solitary in the distal axils. Male flowers: pedicels often capillary; calyx obconic or turbinate; calyx-lobes 6, imbricate, the distal halves sharply inflexed with their apices almost touching the androecium; petals 0; disc 0; stamens 3, united to form a short column, anthers elongate, the thecae linear, extrorse, adnate to the column, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode 0. Female flowers: pedicels capillary or not; calyx-lobes 6, imbricate, not inflexed, usually larger than those of the ♂ flower, accrescent; disc 0; ovary 3-locular, with 2 ovules per locule; styles 3, free, short, erect, simple or bifid. Fruit tardily and often incompletely loculicidally dehiscent; exocarp sometimes somewhat fleshy; endocarp crustaceous. Seeds trigonous, ecarunculate.
Shrubs or trees, monoecious, without latex. Stipules free, persistent. Stem leaves scale-like (phyllanthoid branching). Branchlet leaves alternate, laminate, petiolate, distichous. Inflorescences axillary, bracteate fascicles on branchlets, with females distal, sometimes androgynous. Sepals 6, ± connate into a tube, with sexes dissimilar (females larger). Male flowers: perianth tube obconic or campanulate, truncate or 6-lobed, with an adaxial scale on each lobe; stamens 3, erect; filaments and connectives connate into an apiculate androphore; anthers adnate to androphore, longitudinal, linear; disc absent; pistillode absent. Female flowers: perianth obconic or campanulate, sometimes (not in Australia) absent, often accrescent; ovary ovoid, ellipsoid or turbinate, 3-locular; ovules 2 per locule; styles 3, free, short, erect, entire or shortly bifid; staminodes absent. Fruit a berry. Seeds ± prismatic, abaxially ecarunculate; endosperm sparse; hilum ± basal adaxially, circular.
Shrubs [trees], monoecious [dioecious], glabrous [hairy, hairs simple]; branching phyllanthoid. Leaves persistent, alternate, simple, scalelike on main stems, well developed on ultimate branchlets; stipules persistent [deciduous]; blade margins entire. Inflorescences unisexual, staminate proximal, few-flowered fascicles or flowers solitary, pistillate distal, flowers solitary. Pedicels present. Staminate flowers: sepals 6, connate throughout [connate basally to most of length], with scales at rim of calyx tube [near bases of lobes]; petals 0; nectary absent; stamens 3; filaments connate; connectives not extending beyond anthers; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers: sepals persistent, 6, connate basally; petals 0; nectary absent; pistil 3-carpellate; styles 3, distinct, 2-fid. Fruits capsules. Seeds 2 per locule, rounded-trigonous; seed coat fleshy, smooth; caruncle absent. x = 13.
Male flowers: pedicels often capillary; calyx obconic or turbinate, calyx lobes 6, imbricate, sharply inflexed; petals absent; disk absent; stamens 3, united into a short column, anthers elongate, thecae linear, extrorse, adnate to the column, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode absent.
Female flowers: pedicels sometimes capillary; calyx lobes 6, imbricate, not inflexed, usually larger than in the male flowers, accrescent; disk absent; ovary 3-locular, ovules 2 per locule; styles 3, free, short, erect, simple or bifid.
Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate, stipulate, simple, entire, penninerved, borne on plagiotropic shoots (leafy or floriferous lateral shoots of limited growth, see Phyllanthus).
Flowers axillary, the male fasciculate or solitary, usually in the proximal axils, the female solitary, usually in the distal axils.
Fruit ± baccate, tardily and often incompletely loculicidally dehiscent; exocarp sometimes somewhat fleshy; endocarp crustaceous.
Monoecious or apparently dioecious shrubs or small trees, with or without a simple indumentum, often blackening on drying.
Seeds trigonous, ecarunculate; testa membranous; albumen fleshy; cotyledons broad; radicle long.
Branching phyllanthoid (see Tab. 8).
