Pachystela Pierre

Shrubs or trees. Leaves mostly terminal. Stipules present, linear-subulate or setose, rigid, persistent. Petioles short. Leaf-lamina coriaceous; primary nerves arcuate-ascending, not closely spaced, raised and conspicuous on lower surface, secondary nerves present or absent; veins oblique or reticulate. Flowers congested in older leaf axils, or cauliflorous, sessile or pedicellate. Sepals 5, imbricate, shortly connate at base or ± free. Corolla-lobes connate at base, spreading. Stamens 5; filaments inserted at throat, subequal to corolla-lobes in length, flexuous. Staminodes present or absent, irregular in number and variable in shape. Ovary ± ovoid, pilose, 5-locular; style long, robust and ± dilated near apex or slender and tapering to apex; stigma with 5-papillae, 5-furrowed or simple. Fruit a subglobose, ovoid or ellipsoid berry, with persistent style; pericarp fleshy. Seed solitary, ovoid or ellipsoid; testa with prominent scar covering at least half of surface area; endosperm absent; cotyledons fleshy, plano-convex; radicle basal.