Evergreen trees or shrubs. Leaves spirally arranged to opposite, penninerved or triplinerved, entire. Terminal buds large, perulate (sect. Camphora) or small, with few bud scales. Flowers bi-sexual, small. Perianth of 6 equal tepals in 2 whorls. Fertile stamens 9 in 3 whorls; anthers usually 4-celled, of whorl 1 and 2 introrse, of whorl 3 extrorse or latrorse, the latter with stipitate glands, the stipe usually grown together with the filament; whorl 4 staminodial; filaments short. Ovary with short or long style with minute, peltate stigma. Fruit a berry, seated on or in a shallow or deep cup (enlarged perianth tube), the tepals either deciduous or persistent, or only the basal part of the tepals persistent and indurate.