Phaleria Jack

Shrubs or trees. Leaves decussate or opposite. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, sometimes cauliflorous, capitate, fascicled or umbelliform, peduncled, rarely sessile, peduncles usually with decussate, persistent, reddish-brown, glabrous bracteoles towards the base and gradually increasing in size and more spaced towards the upper parts, sometimes 4 or more involucral bracts at the uppermost part of the peduncle surrounding the flowers. Flowers monomorphous rarely heteromorphous, white, sessile, articulated at the base. Floral tube infundibuli-form or cylindric, glabrous or puberulous on both surfaces. Calyx lobes 5, rarely 4 or 6, slightly unequal. Petaloid appendages obscure and rim-like, or none, rarely distinct (P. pentecostalis LEANDRI, an extra-Mal. sp.). Stamens in two series, usually filamentous and exserted, sometimes included, rarely sessile; anthers oblong, dorsifixed. Disk cupular, submembranous. Ovary ovoid or ellipsoid, glabrous or hairy at the apex, 2-celled or rarely 1-celled by abortion, once found 3-celled in P. octandra; style terminal, filiform, sometimes exserted; stigma capitate, papillose. Fruits drupaceous, 2-or 1-seeded, exocarp and mesocarp fibrous and fleshy (sometimes hard in the herbarium), endocarp coriaceous and hard. Seeds exalbuminous; cotyledons thick and hemispherical.

In rain-forests, rarely in seasonal forests, from the lowland up to 1400 m.