Trees, shrubs or undershrubs, evergreen, perennial, monoecious; stems and foliage with white latex. Indumentum generally absent, or of simple multicellular trichomes; glandular trichomes absent; stinging hairs absent. Stipules entire, inconspicuous, deciduous, or absent. Leaves opposite, ± sessile, elobate, penninerved, entire, eglandular or glandular. Inflorescences axillary, pseudanthial comprising 1 or 2 uni-or bisexual involucres per axil; involucres (cyathia) campanulate and resembling a calyx, 4-lobed and with small glands alternating between the lobes; male flowers arranged in 4 clusters of 3–12 within the involucre and opposite its lobes, each cluster subtended and ±embraced by bracts, the outer 1 or 2 much enlarged and enclosing the cluster; female flowers solitary in centre of involucre, bracteate. Male flowers pedicellate; calyx absent; petals absent; disc absent; stamens one; anthers dorsifixed, bilobate, thecae oblong and longitudinally dehiscent; pistillodes absent. Female flowers pedicellate; calyx lobes 4–6, fused-imbricate; petals absent; disc absent; ovary 2-or 3-locular, ovules uniloculate; styles shortly connate at base, bifid. Fruit capsular, trilobate, surface smooth, dehiscing septicidally into 3 bivalved cocci. Seeds oblong to globose-oblong; testa crustaceous; albumen fleshy; caruncles entire, non-arilloid; cotyledons broad, flat.
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