Dioecious or monoecious aromatic shrubs or small trees. Leaves usually oppo-site, glabrous to densely hairy, the hairs simple or stellate, the blades membrana-ceous to pergameneous, entire to irregularly dentate. Flowers pedicellate to sub-sessile, usually in axillary dichotomous or trichotomous cymes, the hypanthium often surmounted by an annular fusion of the tepal bases. Staminate flowers 3-many, with 4-8 subequal exappendiculate tepals united below to form an annulus interior to which is often a flat or hemispherical, apically perforate velum; stamens 1-many, scattered or in circular disposition, the filaments often dilated or condupli-cate, the anthers oblong, valvate. Carpellate flowers similar to the staminate but usually fewer and larger; annulus and velum often present; carpels 4-many, the styles elongate, usually exserted, often basally connate. Fruits drupaceous or coria-ceous, permanently enclosed in the accrescent hypanthium; seeds tuberculate, ulti-mately exposed by the irregular bursting of the aggregate fruit.
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