Shrubs or trees, evergreen or deciduous, dioecious or rarely polygamo-dioecious. Axillary buds exposed. Leaves opposite, odd-pinnate (occasional leaves even-pinnate); lateral leaflet blades often ± inequilateral, especially at base. Inflorescences terminal or terminal and axillary, thyrsiform. Sepals 4 or 5, basally connate. Petals 4 or 5, narrowly imbricate in bud. Stamens 4 or 5, distinct. Male flowers: stamens to 1.5 × as long as petals; disk conic to cylindric or occasionally barrel-shaped; gynoecium rudimentary, of 4 or 5 basally connate, divergent, and fingerlike carpels. Female flowers: stamens rudimentary, ligulate, much shorter than petals or sometimes lacking; disk pulvinate to barrel-shaped; gynoecium 4-or 5-carpelled; ovaries basally connate, otherwise contiguous, each with 1 or 2 ovules; style apical, of 4 or 5 ± contiguous stylar elements; stigma peltate. Fruit of 1-5 basally connate follicles with abortive carpels, if any, persistent; outer part of pericarp (exocarp and mesocarp) dry or ± fleshy; endocarp cartilaginous. Seeds remaining attached in dehisced fruit; seed coat (except in Tetradium daniellii and T. calcicola) with thick inner layer of dense black sclerenchyma and spongy outer layer bounded externally by a shiny black or reddish pellicle; endosperm copious; embryo straight; cotyledons broadly elliptic, ± flattened; hypocotyl superior.
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