Tricalysia A.Rich. ex Dc.

Mostly shrubs, less often small trees or (only a few species, not in the Flora area) large dominant trees; rarely (± 6 species) rhizomatous undershrubs. Leaves petiolate, often with domatia, never with bacterial nodules; stipules sheathing, crowned by two awns. Inflorescences axillary and opposite, sessile to subsessile, rarely 1-, mostly many-flowered and strongly contracted. Flowers (4–)5–9(–12)-merous, mostly sweetly scented, sessile or rarely pedicellate, hermaphrodite (with the exception of a group of Madagascan species which is unisexual), occasionally dimorphic (sect. Ephedranthera). Bracts (primary and secondary etc.) and bracteoles similar and arranged in a series or less often dissimilar, paired, fused, cupular and somewhat resembling the calyx-limb or less often dissimilar to calyx-limb, dentate, awned or occasionally with leafy appendages, subtending the usually condensed inflorescence branches and with 1 (–3 in simple inflorescences) cup subtending and frequently surrounding each calyx-tube; in some pedicellate species bracteoles free, either opposite or alternate. Calyx very variable, either with short limb-tube and distinct lobes (subgen. Empogona) or with well-developed, truncate or dentate limb-tube. Corolla mostly white, sometimes greenish, cream or rose, salver-shaped; lobes spreading or reflexed, contorted to the left. Stamens attached to the throat, mostly with distinct filaments; anthers medifixed, exserted, rarely (sect. Ephedranthera) sessile and half-included to almost completely included, with or without an inconspicuous or markedly conspicuous apical appendage formed by an extension of the connective. Disc annular. Ovary 2-locular, with 1–many ovules embedded in a placenta attached to the septum; style 2-lobed, exserted, lying between the anthers or just overtopping them, but deeply included in the short-styled form of sect. Ephedranthera. Fruits ± drupaceous, mostly less than 1 cm. in diameter, rarely (sect. Probletostemon and T. allocalyx) somewhat larger and with ± dry, sclerified indehiscent wall, mostly red, rarely orange, in subgen. Empogona first white then turning blackish; calyx mostly persistent; endocarp papery. Seeds 1–many per locule (rarely only 1 per fruit by abortion of the second chamber); seed-coat chestnut-brown, colliculate, striate or smooth; hilum long, linear, often curved; endosperm horny; embryo straight, attaining at most 1/2 the height of the seed; cotyledons ± equalling the basally oriented radicle.