|
Description
:
Dioecious, unarmed, glabrous, terrestrial, evergreen small to large trees. Stems monocaulous to well branched, pachycaulous. Leaves alternate, sessile to subsessile less commonly distinctly petiolate, the bases clasping with persistent to caducous ligules; blades simple with entire (or pinnatifid in one species) and sometimes undulate margins, linear (often quite long) to obovate, coriaceous to membranaceous; midrib often exhibiting several swollen articulations. Inflorescences terminal, erect, racemose to paniculate, the ultimate units usually capitulate (less commonly spicate or rarely solitary); bracts conspicuous to small and scale-like, persistent or caducous, entire to dentate; pedicels lacking (flowers sessile) or rarely very short-pedicellate. Calyx obsolete or rarely with several minute triangular teeth; petals 3–13, valvate, free; stamens 3–13; carpels 4–13, ovary inferior, styles present, free and recurved; the disc flattened to subcallose. Fruits drupes, glabrous, ovoid to globose or oblate, terete and sometimes costate when dry, often partially to fully fused (forming multiple fruits); endocarp crustaceous or indurated. Endosperm uniform. 2n = 48.
|