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Shrubs or small trees [or herbs]. Leaves alternate and spirally arranged, or opposite. Flowers in axillary cymes, or solitary and axillary; bracts opposite; bracteoles opposite. Calyx epigynous; tube adnate to ovary; limb cupular, short, 5-dentate or 5-lobed. Corolla zygomorphic, posterior side longitudinally divided to near base; lobes 5, subequal in size. Ovary 2-locular; each locule with 1 upright ovule on axile placenta [or 1-locular, with 1 or 2 ovules also on axile placenta]; stigma 2-cleft. Drupe often fleshy; endocarp hard; each locule with 1 seed.
Leaves alternate, rarely opposite, sessile or petiolate, entire or the margin toothed, glabrous or with stellate or simple hairs. Flowers solitary or in axillary bracteate cymes, variously coloured. Calyx-tube turbinate to globose; limb nearly entire to deeply 5-toothed. Corolla-tube split down one side to the base, often pubescent at least within; lobes subequal, spreading obliquely. Stamens free. Ovary inferior; style simple or 2-lobed. Fruit a drupe, the outer layer often succulent, the inner layer (endocarp) woody and enveloping the seeds.
Shrubs (Mal spp.). Leaves spirally arranged or opposite or whorled, entire to dentate. Pubescence, if dense, often consisting of stellate hairs. Inflorescences axillary, cymose, provided with bracts and bracteoles. Flowers subsessile. Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary. Ovary (sub-)inferior, 2(-1)-celled, every cell with 1 axillary ovule. Stigma 2-lobed (Mal. spp.). Drupes sometimes more or less fleshy; stone rather hard, containing 1 or 2 seeds.
Fls axillary, solitary or in few-fld cymes. Calyx cupular, lobes obscure or obsolete; corolla split to base at back; anthers free. Ovary 2-celled, ovules 1 per cell. Fr. with us. succulent exocarp and bony endocarp. Herbs, subshrubs or shrubs with alt. lvs. Some 100 spp., mostly of Australia. The N.Z. sp. is endemic.
Ovary usually completely inferior, 2–locular, thick–walled, fleshy, style, semi–terete, simple or bilobed, thick; stigma surrounded by a ciliate cup–shaped membrane.
Corolla 5–lobed, slightly fleshy; tube with a longitudinal split to the base, villous or pubescent inside; lobes subequal, spreading, with broad membranous margins.
Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, entire or with the margins dentate, sessile or petiolate, sometimes clasping the stem.
Fruit a drupe, with a succulent or membranous exocarp and a woody or thin and cructaceous endocarp.
Calyx much shorter than the corolla, usually fleshy; tube cylindrical to subglobose.
Inflorescence axillary, cymose, usually pedunculate, rarely flowers solitary.
Seeds discoid, with a parchment–like testa and a succulent endosperm.
Stamens free; anthers with an apical projection.
