Named for Antoine M.Ampère (1775–1836), Professor of Physics, Collège de France, Paris.

Subshrubs, male and female flowers on the same plant or not, perennial, evergreen; stems and foliage without latex. Indumentum of simple, multicellular hairs. Stipules entire or divided, inconspicuous, soon shed. Leaves alternate, often much reduced, unlobed, penninerved, without glands; margins entire. Inflorescences axillary in clusters or spikes, unisexual with flowers in bracted clusters. Male flowers stalked; calyx forming a short tube, lobes 3-5; petals absent; disk absent; stamens 3-12, filaments free. Female flowers 1-several in bracts, stalked; calyx forming a short tube, lobes 4 or 5; petals absent; disk absent; ovary 3-chambered, ovules 1 per chamber; styles 3, shortly fused, usually divided into 2. Fruit capsular, dehiscent, ovoid, surface smooth. Seeds ovoid to obloid; carunculate.

8 species endemic to Australia, 1 species occasionally cultivated.

Seeds.

Wiry subshrub with much reduced leaves.

Henderson (1992).

Source: Forster, P. (2002). Euphorbiaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.