Monoecious herbs, shrubs or trees, often succulent, with milky latex and with a simple indumentum, when present. Leaves often of 3 types, lower, median and upper; lower or stem-leaves usually alternate, median or pseudumbel-leaves whorled, upper or ray-leaves whorled or opposite, free or connate; all or most leaves usually sessile, rarely shortly petiolate, stipulate or not, simple, entire or toothed, penni- or palminerved. Stipules, when present, minute and subulate, interpetiolar and chaffy, glandular and sessile, or spiny. Inflorescence a cyathium, with 1 ♀ flower and several bracteate ♂ flowers enclosed in a gland. bearing involucre; cyathia axillary or arranged pseudodichasially, often in a ‘pseudumbel’' of radiating ‘dichasia’. Involucre usually 5-lobed, with 1-5 glands alternating with them. Male flowers each consisting of a single stamen borne directly on its own pedicel; anther-cells subglobose, longitudinally dehiscent. Female flower consisting of a trilocular ovary on a pedicel which usually elongates in fruit; ovules 1 per cell; styles 3, free or connate at the base, stigmas often bifid. Fruits 3-celled, dehiscent into bivalved cocci; endocarp woody or cartilaginous. Seeds often carunculate; testa thin, crustaceous, smooth, ornamented or sculptured; albumen thick; embryo straight; cotyledons broad, flat.