Trees or shrubs, rarely epiphytes and stranglers. Branching sometimes dichotomous; twigs sometimes slightly thickened or flattened at nodes; pale lenticels often prominent. Indumentum of simple hairs. Leaves opposite and decussate or very rarely whorled (outside Malesia), simple, trifoliolate or imparipinnate, usually petiolate; petiole and rachis sometimes winged; lateral leaflets opposite, often asymmetrical at base, frequently smaller proximally in a given leaf; terminal leaflet generally somewhat larger than lateral ones; margin toothed or crenulate; domatia absent; blade with or without multicellular trichome bases. Stipules interpetiolar, one pair per node, elliptic, ovate, orbicular to subreniform, often constricted at the base, often caducous in adult foliage; a pair of opposite stipules often salverform, amplexicaul and ± persistent in juvenile foliage; indumentum on abaxial surface usually more dense towards the base. Inflorescence racemose; racemes simple and axillary (outside Malesia) or arranged in groups on a sterile axis (peduncle), and then the basal axis either axillary and often inserted in series at distal node(s), or terminal, or a combination. Individual racemes up to 14 cm long with up to 100 or more flowers. Floral buds inserted singly or in small fascicles, each bud or fascicle subtended by a carinate, often caducous bract. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, hypogynous or somewhat perigynous, petaliferous, pedicellate, 4(-5)-merous or commonly 5-merous outside Malesia except for gynoecium. Calyx lobes 4(-5), ± triangular, with the apex broadly acute or rounded; aestivation imbricate. Petals 4(-5), sometimes fugaceous (outside Malesia), usually elliptic, ovate or obovate, constricted at the base, rounded or irreg-ularly emarginate at the apex, membranous, often ciliolate. Stamens twice as many as calyx lobes; filaments filiform; anthers broadly cordate, deeply incised at base and apiculate at apex. Disc annular (outside Malesia) or divided into 8(-10) free lobes alternating with the filaments, each lobe oblong to obcuneate, sometimes broadly oblong with flanges on either side, usually glabrous. Gynoecium of 2 (or 3) carpels fused at the level of ovary; ovary ovoid; locules 2 (or 3); styles 2 (or 3), free, subulate, glabrous, fur-rowed on adaxial side; stigmas terminal, small or sometimes capitate and papillose; ovules 8-16 per locule, placentation axile. Fruit a septicidal or septifragal capsule dehiscing from the apex; free central column often present; valves coriaceous, boat-shaped, with a dark exocarp and smooth, yellow endocarp with extended margins; styles usually persistent; calyx lobes persistent or not. Seeds elliptic in outline and circular in transverse section, minutely sculptured, usually comose with a tuft of hairs at each end or sometimes hairs arising all over.
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Trees or shrubs, the younger branches usually somewhat flattened and rotating to about 450 between the nodes. Leaves opposite, usually imparipinnate, often with the rachis winged between the opposite leaflets, rarely simple; stipules interpetiolar, caducous. Inflorescence frequently appearing terminal but axillary and usually opposite in the upper leaf-axils, a racemiform or spiciform thyrse with the pedicels clustered and nearly sessile upon the short side branches. Flowers numerous, small, perfect or polygamo-dioecious; sepals 4-5; petals 4-5, white or somewhat pinkish; stamens 8-10; ovary superior, 2-or rarely 3-celled, each carpel with a gradually produced, persistent style with simple stigma; ovules numerous, in 2 rows upon the axile placentae; disc fleshy, hypogynous, surrounding the ovary but free from the stamens. Fruit a small, thin, septicidally 2-or rarely 3-valved capsule; seeds small, usually pilose.
Fls perfect to unisexual, racemed; sepals 4-5, united at base, imbricate; petals 4-5; stamens 8-10. Ovary 2-celled; ovules few to ∞, capsules coriac., 2-valved, septicidally dehiscent; seeds hairy or not. Shrubs or trees with imparipinnate to simple lvs. About 100 spp. of southern hemisphere, except Africa; the N.Z. spp. endemic.
Forest trees, at tropical latitudes mostly in montane forest, from c. 500-2500(-3250) m in Malesia, though sometimes from sea level
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