Trees, less frequently shrubs. Leaves spirally arranged, paripinnate, rhachis frequently ending in a terminal appendix extending up to 2 cm beyond terminal leaflet pair, rarely forming a terminal leaflet; leaflets 2-10 pairs, opposite to strongly subopposite, subsessile to long-petiolate, shape various, basal pair consistently smaller than rest; margin entire to remotely serrate. Inflorescences generally unbranched, pseudo-racemose, axillary or rarely terminal, solitary, occasionally with 2 inflorescences per leaf axil; flowers in pairs, each pair supported by a peduncle of variable length which is frequently altogether absent; each pair subtended by a small common bract; flowers sessile or pedicellate. Flowers weakly zygomorphic; tepals all recurving at anthesis or one (innermost) remaining erect; stamens epitepalous, anthers ovate, subsessile, housed in concave distal end of tepals; hypogynous glands 4, fleshy, distinct, lobed or fused to form a quadrangular structure (or nectary disk); ovary subsessile, glabrous to densely pubescent, with 2 pendulous, orthotropous ovules, style curved, stigma latero-apical. Fruit a nut or rarely a drupe, indehiscent, 1-2-seeded, subglobose to ovoid; outer mesocarp thin and coriaceous or thick and fleshy; inner mesocarp thin and woody or very thick and sclerous; seeds fleshy, more or less compressed, not winged.
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