Shrubs or trees, 15–60 dm. Stems (1–)5–20, arching; bark purplish brown, ?pith chambered?; long and short shoots present; glabrous. Leaves deciduous, cauline, alternate; stipules caducous, free, distinct, linear, margins entire; petiole present; blade oblong-lanceolate, elliptic, or oblong, 5–10(–15) cm, coriaceous, margins flat, entire, abaxial surface sometimes puberulent, glabrescent, adaxial glabrous. Inflorescences axillary ?on lateral, pendulous branches?, 5–10-flowered, determinate racemes, glabrous, glabrate, or hairy; ?peduncles present?; bracts present; bracteoles present. Pedicels present. Flowers usually unisexual, sometimes bisexual (plants usually dioecious, rarely monoecious), 10–15 mm diam.; hypanthium turbinate to campanulate, 3–5 mm, glabrous, glabrate, or hairy; sepals 5, spreading (staminate flowers) or erect (pistillate), triangular; petals 5, greenish white, elliptic-ovate or elliptic-obovate, ?base clawed; staminodia in pistillate flowers?; stamens 15 in 3 series, shorter than petals; torus absent or minute; carpels usually 5 (not evident or aborted in staminate flowers), distinct, glabrous, styles 5, ?deciduous, included within hypanthia; stigmas 5, capitate?; ovules 2. Fruits aggregated drupes, (1–)2–5, purple-black, elliptic-obovate to ovate, 5–15 mm, ?pulp thin?, glabrous; hypanthium persistent (staminate) or mostly deciduous (pistillate); sepals not persistent. Seeds 1. x = 8.
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