Monoecious or dioecious shrubs or small trees, pubescent, without irritant hairs. Leaves alternate, simple, chartaceous, serrulate, triveined, white to silvery tomentose beneath, petiolate; stipules connate, intrapetiolar, bifid. Inflorescence axillary or at notes, flowers in globular heads or cymose. Male flowers: tepals 4 (rarely 3 or 5), stamens 4 (rarely 3 or 5), pistillode present. Female flowers: perianth ovoid or obovoid, the orifice contracted, very minutely 3-or 4-dentate; ovary enclosed by perianth; stigma subsessile, capitate-penicillate. Achene adnate to enclosing fleshy perianth.