Shrubs; branchlets armed at nodes with paired, axillary, sharp spines. Leaves alternate, trifoliolate or unifoliolate (not on Christmas Island), with many translucent oil glands; petiole very short. Flowers bisexual, axillary, in cymes of up to 4. Calyx cupular, 3-or 5-lobed, persistent. Petals 3 or 5, oblong, fleshy. Stamens usually 6 or 10, free, around a convex disc; filaments broadening towards base; anthers linear. Ovary entire, glabrous, 3–5-locular, each with 1 or 2 ovules. Style thick to slender, caducous; stigma capitate or discoid. Fruit a berry with oil glands in peel. Seeds 1–5 in a mucilaginous pulp.
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