Small or medium-sized trees or occasionally shrubs, without scales or stalked glands. Leaves opposite or subopposite, petiolate, almost glabrous or hairy. Flowers andromonoecious (and ♂ in the same inflorescence), (4)5-merous, pedicellate, in terminal and/or axillary or extra-axillary subcapitate racemes. Upper receptacle campanulate, joined to the lower by a slender stalk-like region; lower receptacle somewhat flattened. Hermaphrodite flowers: sepals deltate, little developed; petals (4)5, usually somewhat obovate; stamens (8)10, 2-seriate in E. African species; disk pilose with a short free margin; style not expanded at the apex. Male flowers: usually towards the base of the inflorescence, similar to the hermaphrodite flowers but with the ovary not developing and with a slender stalk replacing the lower receptacle (perhaps a true pedicel only towards the base); style present or vestigial. Fruit 2–5-winged, wings often decurrent into the comparatively long slender stipe. Cotyledons (where known) unfolding spirally and borne above soil-level.