Flowers diœcious, apetalous. Male: Calyx globose, minutely apiculate and closed in bud, splitting into 3–4 valvate lobes. Stamens (in the African species) 6–12, inserted on a slightly raised receptacle, either mixed with inter-staminal glands only or (in the African species) surrounded by an extra-staminal cup, but without inter-staminal glands; filaments free; anthers erect, obovoid, 2-celled, dehiscing by extrorse longitudinal slits. Rudimentary ovary 0. Female: Calyx 2–3, or (in the African species) 4-partite; segments smaller than in the male. Disk 2-lobed. Ovary hispid or velvety, 2–3-celled (2-celled in the African species); outer solitary; stigmas free, recurved from the base, plumosely laciniate throughout. Capsule (in the African species) 2-coccous; cocci subglobose; splitting loculicidally. Seeds almost spherical, usually arillate; testa crustaceous, foveolate-reticulate or nearly smooth; albumen fleshy; cotyledons broad, flat. —Small trees or shrubs with stoutish twigs. Leaves alternate, usually distinctly petioled, margin crenate or toothed; stipules small, deciduous. Flowers in lateral or axillary, dense or rather lax uniformly floriferous racemes, small or minute; male flowers usually several, female flowers usually solitary to a bract.