Shrubs or trees, evergreen. Leaves petiolate; leaf blade margin serrate. Flowers axillary, solitary, pedicellate or subsessile. Bracteoles 2 or rarely more, caducous or persistent, sometimes clearly differentiated from sepals. Sepals 5(or 6), imbricate, persistent or caducous, unequal in size, outside pubescent to velutinous, inside brown and glabrous. Petals 5 or rarely more, white or rarely pale yellow, basally slightly connate and adnate to stamens. Stamens numerous, glabrous; outer filament whorl basally slightly connate; anthers dorsifixed, 2-loculed, longitudinally cleft. Ovary superior, (2 or)3-5(or 6)-loculed with 2-5 ovules per locule, placentation axile, tomentose; styles 3-5, distinct or basally connate. Fruit a loculicidal capsule dehiscent from base or drupaceous and indehiscent, usually 2 seeds per locule; pericarp woody or fleshy; columella persistent. Seeds longitudinally compressed, wingless; testa bony, smooth, shiny; hilum linear; endosperm absent; embryo large; cotyledons thin.
Home