Trees, dioecious. Leaves alternate, distichous on the lateral branches; stipules fully amplexicaul, free; blade entire, pinnately veined. Inflorescences on spurs in the leaf axils, unisexual, discoid-capitate, involucrate. Staminate inflorescences often up to 4 together, pedunculate, the inner involucral bracts often more or less petaloid, covering the flowers before anthesis; tepals 3-7, free; stamens 2-4; pistillode absent. Pistillate inflorescences solitary, (sub)sessile; flowers several to numerous, connate and the outer ones adnate to the receptacle; tepals 3-7, the free parts conical to cushion-shaped; ovary adnate to the perianth; stigmas 2, filiform to vittiform. lnfructescences hemispherical to globose, covered with the hardened, free parts of the tepals and the inner involucral bracts; fruits embedded in the pulpy receptacle; seed large, without endosperm, cotyledons thick and equal.
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