Shrubs or trees, evergreen, unarmed. Trichomes simple. Leaves opposite, simple. Inflorescences paniculate, axillary. Flowers bisexual, 4-merous. Sepals basally connate, glabrous adaxially, persistent in fruit. Petals distinct, valvate or narrowly imbricate, adaxially nearly glabrous or sparsely minutely pilose, subpersistent or deciduous in fruit. Stamens 8, alternately unequal in length; filaments flattened and ±petaloid; anthers of antipetalous stamens usually lacking pollen. Gynoecium a 4-carpelled subapocarpous pistil; ovules 2 per locule; style apical; stigma punctiform or 4-lobed. Fruit of 1–4 basally connate follicles, these ellipsoid to obovoid, without stylar beak; exocarp subwoody; abortive carpels persistent; ventral endocarp membranaceous to subfleshy, tearing free from rest of endocarp and ±persistent on seed as an ovate piece of tissue; dorsilateral endocarp cartilaginous, glabrous, separate and usually expelled from dehisced fruit. Seeds solitary or in pairs, ovoid, expelled from dehisced fruit; testa thin and brittle, black, lustrous, granulate, with sclerotesta; endosperm copious. Embryo straight; cotyledons flattened, elliptic; hypocotyl terminal, considerably narrower than cotyledons.
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