Shrubs; juvenile parts covered with candelabra hairs mixed with stellate hairs and/or
abietiform hairs mixed with stellate hairs. Leaves alternate, opposite or subopposite, sessile or
petiolate, glabrous above and hairy beneath as in juvenile parts or glabrous on both surfaces,
palmati-pinnate and curvipinnate. Inflorescence simple dichasium, reduced dichasium or
compound dichasium; flower buds spathulate or ventricose. Flowers bracteate, ebracteolate,
zygomorphic, sympetalous, 4 or 5-merous. Calyculus obsolete or present and lobed. Petals 4 or
5, united; tube terete or ventricose; lobes 4 or 5, unilaterally reflexed or obliquely erect after
anthesis. Stamens 4 or 5, erect; filaments terete or subterete; anthers isothecate or anisothecate,
with or without sterile apex. Ovary attenuated toward base; style tetragonous, tumid or
continuous; stigma capitate or subglobose, smooth. Fruits pseudocarps, smooth or papillate
or with reticulate markings, glabrous or hairy.
South and South-east Asia from Indian subcontinent to Malesia, ca 35 species; 13 species
in India.
KEY TO THE SPECIES
1a. Leaves opposite or both opposite and alternate; flowers tetramerous; hairs when present in
flowers both of candelabra and stellate types
2
b. Leaves always alternate; flowers pentamerous; hairs when present in flowers both of abietiform
and stellate types
b. Leaves orbicular to suborbicular; lateral nerves palmatipinnate; bracts obovate, 3 or 4-times
longer than ovary; flower buds clavate at apex; calyculus and corolla with persistent hairs