Shrubs or trees, unarmed. Leaves simple, petiolate, the stipules narrowly linear, the blade entire or lobate, sometimes auriculate-appendaged at the base, palmi-nerved. Inflorescences axillary, fasciculate or flowers solitary. Flowers hermaphro-dite or imperfect, pubescent and generally with tufted hairs, pedicellate, 3-bracteo-late, the bractlets adnate to the calyx and caducous; receptacle eglandular; calyx cupuliform or campanulate, truncate or lobate, coriaceous, accrescent; petals 5, connate at the base into a tube coalescent with the staminal column, fleshy; stamens numerous, the staminal column divided into many unequal filaments; anthers 1-thecate, hippocrepiform, medifixus, extrorse, longitudinallv dehiscent; pollen porate, the sexine uniform, tegillate and spinulate; ovary superior, sessile, 3-celled, none or rudimentar in the staminate flowers, the cells few-ovulate; style simple; stigma 1-to 3-divided and revolute. Capsules coriaceous or subligneous, loculi-cidally 3-valvate, the valves glabrous or not within; seeds few, the funicle expanded into a fleshy aril; cotyledons fleshy and contortuplicate.
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