Shrubs or small trees, without stinging hairs. Leaves opposite; stipules deciduous, lateral, free; leaf blade 3-veined, often bullate-rugose adaxially, margin serrate; cystoliths punctiform. Inflorescences axillary, at proximal nodes of older branches, glomerules globose or semiglobose, of unisexual flowers (plants monoecious or dioecious). Male flowers: perianth lobes 4 or 5, valvate; stamens 4 or 5; filaments inflexed in bud; rudimentary ovary obovoid, tomentose around base. Female flowers: perianth connate into a tube, free from ovary, ventricose, 2-or unequally 4-toothed. staminodes absent. Ovary straight; style present; stigma filiform, recurved, long fimbriate on adaxial side, persistent; ovule orthotropous. Achene enclosed by fleshy perianth, compressed.
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