Maprounea Aubl.

Monoecious or sometimes dioecious completely glabrous trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate, simple, entire, penninerved, shiny above, glaucous and with (0–)1–4 sessile glands beneath. Inflorescences terminal on short lateral shoots, spicate or racemose, solitary, bisexual, rarely unisexual, with 1–5 ♀ flowers at the base, the ♂ flowers being aggregated into a dense mass at the apex; ♂ bracts small, imbricate, slightly fleshy, with 1–3 subsessile glands on each side at or near the base, 3(–5)-flowered; bracteoles minute; ♀ bracts small, 1-flowered. Male flowers subsessile or very shortly pedicellate; calyx-lobes 2–3(–4), imbricate, membranous; petals 0; disc 0; stamens (1–)2–3, filaments for the most part united into a column, exserted, anthers basifixed, 2-thecous, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode 0. Female flowers pedicellate, the pedicels extending in fruit; calyx-lobes 3(–6), ± imbricate; petals 0; disc 0; ovary (2–)3(–5)-locular, with 1 ovule per locule; styles (2–)3(–5), connate at the base, entire, straight at first, then reflexed, the adaxial stigmatic surface canaliculate and minutely papillulose. Fruit ± globose or slightly (2–)3(–5)-lobed, dehiscing into (2–)3(–5) bivalved cocci; exocarp thin, smooth, not separating from the endocarp; endocarp ligneous; columella persistent. Seeds obovoid, outer testa smooth, shiny, slightly fleshy (sarcotesta); endotesta crustaceous, smooth, rugulose or foveolate; caruncle large, conical, shallowly 2-lobate, fleshy; albumen fleshy; cotyledons broad, flat.