Shrubs or trees, evergreen, perennial, dioecious; stems and foliage without latex. Indumentum of simple, multicellular trichomes, often medifixed, glandular trichomes absent, stinging trichomes absent. Stipules entire, inconspicuous, deciduous. Leaves alternate, petiolate, elobate, penninerved, denticulate to crenate, glands absent. Inflorescences axillary, paniculate, solitary, unisexual, with flowers in bracteate clusters. Male flowers pedicellate; calyx lobes 5, imbricate, shortly connate; petals 5, imbricate, free; disc absent; stamens 8, filaments connate into a column, biseriate with 5 lower and 3 upper; anthers dorsifixed, bilobate, thecae oblong and longitudinally dehiscent; pistillodes absent. Female flowers pedicellate; calyx lobes 5, imbricate, shortly connate; petals 5, imbricate, free; disc absent; ovary 1–3-locular [cf. fam. & subfam. descriptions, Editor], ovules uniloculate; styles 3, shortly connate at base, bifid. Fruits capsular, trilobate, surface echinate, dehiscing septicidally into 3 bivalved cocci. Seeds ± globose; testa crustaceous; albumen fleshy; ecarunculate; cotyledons broad, flat.
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Trees or shrubs, dioecious, rarely monoecious; indumentum of simple hairs, sparse. Leaves alternate, petiolate; leaf blade simple, margin entire; venation pinnate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, racemelike thyrses or cymes, usually few flowered. Male flowers: calyx cupular, rim 5-toothed or shortly 5-lobed; petals 5, free; disk glands 5, alternating with petals; stamens 10-15, outside 5 free, inner ones connate into column; pistillode absent. Female flowers: calyx 5-partite, imbricate, accrescent, persistent; petals 5, disk annular; ovary 3-locular; ovules 1 per locule; styles 3, connate at base, each bifid. Fruit a capsule, 3-locular; endocarp crustaceous; ovules 1 per locule. Seeds ellipsoidal; endosperm fleshy; cotyledon broad and flat.
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