Shrubs or trees. Inflorescence paniculate, axillary or subterminal. Bracts and bractlets mostly small. Flowers 5-merous, in the bud more or less constricted under the calyx. Receptacle not or scarcely produced above the ovary, pubescent outside. Sepals imbricate, equal or slightly unequal. Petals white, orbiculate or obovate, pubescent outside. Stamens numerous; filaments incurved in the bud; anthers ovate, dorsifixed, opening with longitudinal slits. Ovary 2-to 4-celled, terminated by a sericeous disc; ovules 2 in each cell, ascending. Berry 1-seeded, pllipsoid, or 2-to 3-seeded and obovoid or subglobose when ripe, crowned by the persistent sepals. Seeds with cartilaginous shining testa; cotyledons free, longi-tudinal (i.e. so placed in the fruit that they are parallel with the greatest length of the fruit), contort-plicate; radicle elongate, half-encircling the embryo.
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