Trees or shrubs with indumentum of stellate hairs or peltate scales. Leaves usually
pinnate, rarely 3-foliolate or unifoliolate. In florescence usually an axillary panicle, rarely
cauliflorous; the males large, many-flowered; females small, few-flowered. Flowers unisexual, male and female flowers found on different individuals (dioecious); female
flowers larger than the males. Calyx 3 -
5-lobed, valvate or imbricate. Petals 3 -
6, free
or united at base, free from staminal tube or partly united with it, imbricate. Staminal
tube globose, cup-shaped or cylindric, entire or crenate at margin, rarely lobed, 0.5 -
5.5 mm long; anthers generally 5 - 10, glabrous, rarely hairy, inserted in a single whorl,
included or partly exserted. Antherodes similar but without pollen. Disk absent. Ovary
usually 1 - 3-locular; locules 1- or 2-ovuled; style short or absent; stigma small, capitate,
conical or lobed. Pistillode with or without rudimentary ovules. Fruit a berry, nut or
sometimes a capsule; seeds arillate, sometimes with a fleshy sarcotesta.
Indo-Malesian region, Australia, Melanesia and Polynesia with ca 100 species; 23
in India.
KEY TO THE SPECIES
1a. Anthers exserted; seeds angular
2
b. Anthers included in staminal tube or nearly so; seeds not angular