The World Flora Online

Arbustes'ou arbres inermes.'Feuilles'stipulées, alternes, entières ou ± dentées, penninerves.'Inflorescences'en racèmes axillaires.'Fleurs'polygames ; périanthe spiralé à tépales non différenciés ; tépales externes soudés entre eux dans leur 1/3 inférieur et sensiblement égaux aux tépales internes; ceux-ci munis d'une écaille à la base de leur face interne; étamines ∞; anthères déhiscentes par fentes longitudinales; ovaire supère, 1-loculaire, à 2-4 placentas multiovulés.'Capsules .'Graines peu nombreuses.\n\t\t\t\tGenre d'Afrique tropicale comprenant 10 espèces dont 4 pour la Flore.

Sepals 4–5, almost free, the outer scarcely smaller, usually orbicular. Flowers bisexual or male by abortion, in lax racemes or crowded and more or less spicate. Stamens indefinite, free; anthers linear to narrowly lanceolate, dehiscing longitudinally. Petals 4–7, imbricate, like the inner sepals but larger, with thick hairy scales adnate at the base within. Fruit a globose capsule with a hard leathery pericarp, style persistent, splitting into 2–4 longitudinal sections. Ovary free, glabrous or hairy, 1-locular with 2–4 multiovulate placentas; style short or long, simple or divided in the upper half into 2–4 branches, stigmas 2–4, short. Seeds few. Leaves petiolate with caducous stipules; lamina entire, serrulate or dentate. Bushes or tall trees with the vegetative parts quite glabrous. Flowers bisexual or male by abortion, in lax racemes or crowded and more or less spicate. Stamens indefinite, free; anthers linear to narrowly lanceolate, dehiscing longitudinally. Petals 4–7, imbricate, like the inner sepals but larger, with thick hairy scales adnate at the base within. Fruit a globose capsule with a hard leathery pericarp, style persistent, splitting into 2–4 longitudinal sections. Ovary free, glabrous or hairy, 1-locular with 2–4 multiovulate placentas; style short or long, simple or divided in the upper half into 2–4 branches, stigmas 2–4, short. Seeds few. Leaves petiolate with caducous stipules; lamina entire, serrulate or dentate. Bushes or tall trees with the vegetative parts quite glabrous.

Sepals 8–12, spirally arranged and subequal; outer 3–5 coherent below, thin to chartaceous and generally reddish or pinkish; inner 5–7 ones almost free, membranous and whitish, each with a small thick hairy scale adhering to the base on the inner side Flowers bisexual or polygamous-monoecious, i.e. the lower ones in the same raceme often ♂ only Ovary with 2–4 multi-ovulate placentas; style short, divided distally into (2), 3 or 4 stigmatic branches Stamens 16–30; filaments filiform; anthers linear-oblong, subsagittate, basifixed Racemes axillary, solitary; pedicels subtended by several minute bracts Leaves persistent, alternate, entire, dentate or serrate, glabrous, penninerved; stipules caducous Seeds 1–5, obtusely ovoid-angular; testa hard; endosperm copious; cotyledons flat. Fruit capsular, finally splitting into 3 valves; pericarp coriaceous Shrubs or trees Flowers bisexual or polygamous-monoecious, i.e. the lower ones in the same raceme often ♂ only Ovary with 2–4 multi-ovulate placentas; style short, divided distally into (2), 3 or 4 stigmatic branches Stamens 16–30; filaments filiform; anthers linear-oblong, subsagittate, basifixed Racemes axillary, solitary; pedicels subtended by several minute bracts Leaves persistent, alternate, entire, dentate or serrate, glabrous, penninerved; stipules caducous Seeds 1–5, obtusely ovoid-angular; testa hard; endosperm copious; cotyledons flat. Fruit capsular, finally splitting into 3 valves; pericarp coriaceous Shrubs or trees