Clutia Boerh. ex L.

Dioecious or rarely monoecious small trees, shrubs, subshrubs or woody herbs. Hairs simple. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, membranous or coriaceous, sometimes (South Africa) ericoid. Stipules small or 0. Inflorescences axillary; ♂ inflorescences composed of many-flowered fascicles; ♀ inflorescences composed of few-flowered fascicles, or flowers solitary; pedicels varying in length, those of the ♂ flowers articulate. Male flowers: sepals 5, united only at the very base, imbricate; petals 5, free, clawed, ± equalling the sepals; disc composed of numerous glands in 1–3 series (2–7 on each sepal, (0–)1–3 on each petal, 0–many on the receptacle); stamens 5, opposite the petals, inserted on an elongate receptacular column; anthers dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally; pistillode cylindrical, borne on top of the receptacular column. Female flowers: sepals and petals ± as in the ♂, but persistent and becoming somewhat indurated in fruit; disc commonly only in 1 series, at the base of the sepals; ovary ± spherical, 3-locular; styles 3, free or united at the base, bifid; ovule solitary in each locule. Fruit ± spherical, septicidally dehiscent into 3 partially loculicidal valves with a woody endocarp, with the thin septa partially adhering to the columella. Seeds ovoid, carunculate, black, shining, with a fleshy albumen; cotyledons broad, flat.