Shrubs or small trees, erect, deciduous or evergreen. Branchlets dichotomous, quadrangular to subterete; winter buds with imbricate scales but exposed in summer. Leaf blade papery or subleathery, adaxially scabrous or ± smooth. Flowers axillary, fragrant, subsessile to very shortly pedicellate. Tepals numerous, yellow, yellowish white, or white and sometimes with purple markings, membranous, varying in size and shape from outer to inner but not distinctly dimorphic. Stamens 5-8, arranged on cuplike receptacle; filaments filamentous but basally broad and connate, usually puberulent; staminodes few to numerous, puberulous, arranged inside stamens on receptacle. Carpels 5-15, distinct; ovules 2 per carpel but 1 ovule usually abortive. Pseudocarp urceolate, ovoid-ellipsoid, obovoid-ellipsoid, or campanulate, pubescent. Achenes oblong, oblong-ellipsoid, ellipsoid, oblong-ovoid, or reniform.
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