Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Herbs, shrubs, or trees, perennial, deciduous, synoecious [dioecious]; hairs unbranched or 2-armed (occasionally 1 arm absent).

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Usually opposite, sometimes alternate. Margins entire. Veins pinnate. Petiole usually present, sometimes absent. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences axillary or terminal, cymes, umbels, or capitula. Flowers bisexual (perfect) [unisexual]; perianth and androecium epigynous; hypanthium completely adnate to ovary. Sepals 4(–5), distinct or slightly connate. Petals 4(–5), distinct, valvate. Stamens 4(–5), distinct, free; anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior, carpels 1, [1–]2[–4]-carpellate, [1–]2[–4]-locular, placentation apical; ovules 1 per locule; style 1; stigmas 2.

Fruit: Drupes: sometimes fused into a syncarp. Seeds 1(–2) per fruit.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range: