Tall shrubs to small trees. Branchlets and leaves villous to tomentose when young, glabrescent. Leaves opposite, simple; margin entire to variously lobed or toothed. Conflorescence spike-like, axillary, in opposite pairs, appearing terminal at first, becoming lateral by elongation of branchlets, or conflorescence robust, terminal, densely-flowered and paniculately-branched; involucral bracts oblong or ovate to orbicular, caducous; floral bracts small, caducous, sometimes apparently absent. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual. Receptacle straight. Perianth straight; tepals becoming revolute at anthesis. Stamens 4; filament and connective short. Hypogynous glands 4, small, free, ±oblong. Ovary sessile or shortly stipitate, 1-locular; ovules 2, sometimes abortive; style slender; pollen presenter ellipsoidal, clavate or cucullate. Fruit ±ovoid, sometimes tapered distally, splitting tardily into 2 valves. Seeds 2, flattened with a terminal wing.
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