Spirostachys Sond.

Dioecious or monoecious completely glabrous trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate, simple, crenate, penninerved, glanduliferous at the apex of the petiole. Inflorescences axillary, sessile, spicate and amentiform or racemose, solitary, geminate or fascicled, unisexual or bisexual, if the latter then most of the inflorescence ♂ with 1–3 ♀ flowers at the base; ♂ bracts 1-flowered, with or without glands at the sides; bracteoles present or 0. Male flowers small, sessile; sepals (2–)5, ± free, imbricate; petals 0; disc 0; stamens 3, free or united, long-exserted, anthers extrorse, basifixed, 2-thecous, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode 0. Female flowers small, shortly pedicellate; sepals 3–5, ± free, open in bud; petals 0; disc 0; ovary (2–)3-locular, with 1 ovule per locule; styles (2–)3, shortly connate at the base, entire, not strongly coiled. Fruit (2–)3-lobed, dehiscing into (2–)3 bivalved cocci, the valves of which do not immediately separate; exocarp smooth, not separating from the endocarp; endocarp thinly crustaceous; columella persistent, 3-winged at the apex. Seeds globose or ovoid; caruncle minute, separating from the seed and remaining adnate to the columella; testa crustaceous; albumen fleshy; cotyledons broad, flat.