Distribution A small, economically important genus of 5-6 species native to the Old World.
Habit Monoecious, deciduous or evergreen trees with watery sap; branches and leaves pubescent with stellate or simple hairs.
Leaves Leaves simple, alternate, entire or palmately lobed, long petiolate, stipules present but quickly deciduous.
Flowers Flowers in terminal paniculate cymes; calyx 2-3 lobed, hood-like in bud, rupturing irregularly along the valves at anthesis; petals 5, imbricate or contorted; staminate flowers with a nectary disk of 5 segments or rarely entire, stamens 8-10(-20), connate, anthers usually introrse, ovary absent; pistillate flowers with a 5 lobed nectary disk, stamens absent, ovary (2)3-5 celled, ovules 1 per cell, styles distinct, bifid.
Fruit Fruit drupaceous, dehiscent or indehiscent.
Seeds Seeds 1 per cell, seed coat thick and woody.
