Shrubs or trees, evergreen, perennial, male and female flowers on the same plant or not; stems and foliage with watery-white latex. Indumentum of simple, multicellular hairs. Stipules entire, often conspicuous, soon shed. Leaves alternate, stalked, unlobed, penninerved, glands 2 at leaf stalk apex; margins entire. Inflorescences terminal or subterminal, racemose, solitary, usually bisexual and androgynous with flowers in bracted clusters with a single involucre. Male flowers stalked; calyx lobes 1-2, overlapping, variously fused; petals absent; disk absent; stamens 3-50, filaments free. Female flowers stalked; calyx lobes 2-3, overlapping, shortly fused; petals absent; disk absent; ovary 2-3- chambered, ovules 1 per chamber; styles 2-3, shortly fused at base, simple or rarely divided into 2. Fruits capsular, almost indehiscent, 2- or 3-lobed, surface smooth. Seeds ellipsoid-ovoid; carunculate, nonarilloid.

About 35 species in the tropics and subtropics of Asia, Malesia, Melanesia and Australia (2 species, both cultivated).

Cuttings or seeds. Resistant to mild frosts.

Floral bracts with dorsal glands that are often well developed (flattened).

Airy Shaw (1980), Forster (1994c).