Shrubs or trees with milky latex; monoecious. Leaves alternate, simple, pet-iolate; stipules usually obsolete; blade expanded, entire or toothed. Inflorescence racemose or paniculate, terminal, usually bisexual. Staminate flowers numerous, usually ternate in groups of 2-5 at upper nodes with each group subtended by a conspicuously biglandular bract; calyx small of 3-5 broad lobes; petals and disc absent; stamens numerous or rarely 2-3, the anthers almost sessile on a convex receptacle, extrorse; pollen grains somewhat prolate, tectate, 3-colporate. Pistil-late flowers few, solitary (rarely 2-4 on branched peduncle) at basal nodes, sub-tending bract glandular to varying degrees; sepals 3-6, unequal, acute; petals and disc absent; carpels 3, each with 1 ovule, the styles connate in a long colum, free and simple above. Fruit capsular, endocarp hard, the columella persistent after dehiscence; seed carunculate, smooth or somewhat warty.
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