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Description
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Hermaphroditic, unarmed, glabrous to pubscent, terrestrial, evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees, or caudiciform geophytes. Stems monocaulous to well branched, pachycaulous. Leaves alternate, often terminally clustered, petiolate, the bases usually sheathing but not alate, stipulate; blades simple to palmately lobed or compound, lobes or leaflets sometimes more highly dissected, coriaceous (to membranaceous); the margins entire to crennate or serrate, leaflets (when compound) petiolulate or sessile. Inflorescences terminal, erect, simple or compound umbellate with spicate or racemose ultimate units; bracts prominent to minute; pedicels absent to slender, unarticulated. Calyx 5-toothed, undulate, and/or forming a low rim; petals 5, valvate, free; stames 5; carpels 2, ovaries inferior, styles free or connate basally; the disc depressed, flattened, rounded, or conical. Fruits drupes, sometimes densely aggregated, glabrous, subglobose to ellipsoid, terete; endocarp crustaceous or indurated. Endosperm ruminate (rarely uniform).
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