Small polygamous, monoecious or dioecious trees, shrubs or lianes, the younger parts often with small, simple hairs. Leaves opposite, simple, petiolate, exstipulate, with numerous small oil dots. Inflorescence terminal or axillary, cymose, racemose or paniculate. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, actinomorphic. Perianth of 2–38 spirally arranged tepals, the outermost sometimes appearing decussate, grading from ovate to orbicular below to longer, narrower and spathulate above. Stamens 6–25, spirally arranged; connective prolonged at apex; anthers dehiscing by 2 longitudinal slits. Carpels solitary (rarely 2), superior, rudimentary or absent in male flowers; ovule solitary, pendulous, anatropous; stigma sessile, tufted-papillose. Fruit fleshy, small, spherical. Seed stony, smooth or ridged; embryo small, apical; endosperm abundant.
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