Evergreen trees with buttressed pyramidal base and knee-like pneumatophores, prop roots from higher branches absent. Leaves opposite decussate, petiolate, glabrous, leathery, black dotted on lower surface, entire, acute, emucronate; stipules lanceolate, glabrous. Inflorescence 2-5-flowered, recurved pedunculate cymes or flowers solitary axillary. Flowers bisexual, 1.5 cm or more long, articulated to the peduncle, epigynous; disc cupulose, adnate to the hypanthium; bracteoles absent. Sepals 8-14 (-15), united below into a campanulate or obconical 8-14 (-15)-lobed hypanthium adnate to the ovary, lobes subulate-lanceolate, acute, valvate, accrescent in fruit. Petals as many as sepals, oblong, basally convolute and inserted at mouth of the hypanthium, shallowly 2-lobed or emarginate, appendaged, embracing the stamens, caducous. Stamens 16-28, in epipetalous pairs, ultimately springing from them elastically; anthers linear, equal in length to filiform unequal sized filaments, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary 2-4-carpellate, syncarpous, basally adnate to the calyx-tube, 2-4-locular, locules biovulate; style filiform, stigma minutely 2-4-lobed. Fruit obconical, unilocular, 1(-2)-seeded, leathery berry. Seeds viviparous, embryo nonendospermic, cotyledons basally connate, non-emergent, radicle and hypocotyl short, narrowly cylindric blunt, smooth or ribbed, perforating fruit apex.