Balakata Esser

Trees or shrubs, monoecious, evergreen, usually glabrous. Leaves simple, alternate, petiolate, penninerved; stipules caducous or persistent. Inflorescences terminal, simple or branched, spicate or racemose, the female flowers at the base of males when bisexual; bracts biglandular at base. Male flowers: fascicled at each bract; calyx cupular, shortly 2 or 3-lobed, splitting to base later on; petals absent; disc absent; stamens 2 or 3, free; anther-thecae distinct, parallel, dorsifixed, extrorse; pistillode absent. Female flowers: solitary per bract; calyx 3-lobed; petals absent; disc absent; ovary 2 or 3-locular; locules uniovulate; styles free or connate at base. Fruits smooth, fleshy berries, indehiscent, 2 or 3-lobed; seeds globose or ovoid, ecarunculate, persistent on columella; testa crustaceous with fleshy outer layer; endosperm fleshy; cotyledons broad, flat.

NE. India to Vietnam and throughout SE. Asia, up to parts of New Guinea, 2 species; one in India.

List of Lower Taxa