Trees, dioecious. Leaves imparipinnately compound; leaflets opposite, entire. Inflorescence a terminal panicle or raceme. Flowers 4-merous. Stamens 8; anthers ovoid, reduced and sterile in female flower. Disk intrastaminal. Ovary 4-locular, with 1 apical pendulous ovule per locule; styles 3 or 4, short; stigma subglobose; ovary in male flower rudimentary. Drupe small, subreniform, compressed; mesocarp thin; endocarp woody, 1-4-locular with operculum.

Source: [
• 7
]. 

Leaves alternate, imparipinnate, trifoliolate or rarely unifoliolate, usually clustered at the end of the branches; leaflets sessile or petiolulate, opposite or subopposite, usually entire

Source: [
• 5
]. 

Trees, shrubs or suffrutices; young plants usually with stellate indumentum; bark tough and used as string

Source: [
• 5
]. 

Plants dioecious, sometimes the trees being entirely ♂ and others producing apparently bisexual flowers in which the stamens may or may not be functional

Source: [
• 5
]. 

Inflorescences often produced before the leaves, ♂ essentially paniculate but the branchlets reduced to mere knobs on which the flowers are clustered so that they seem spike-like, ♀ racemose to spicate; sometimes the spikelike panicles are themselves branched

Source: [
• 5
]. 

Male flowers: calyx 4-partite, segments imbricate; petals 4, imbricate; stamens 8, with the subulate filaments inserted below the disk; anthers dorsifixed; disk somewhat cup-shaped, 8-crenulate with a 4-cleft vestigial ovary at the centre

Source: [
• 5
]. 

Seeds somewhat reniform, compressed; cotyledons plano-convex.

Source: [
• 5
]. 

Drupe compressed, obovoid, ovoid or ± oblong, showing persistent separated style-bases; mesocarp thin; endocarp woody, surface ridged and alveolate, with 1–2 ovate opercules at the apex

Source: [
• 5
]. 

Female flowers: hermaphrodite or perhaps functionally ♀ only; perianth as in ♂; stamens shorter than ovary, but normally antheriferous; ovary ovoid or subglobose, 4-locular, with 2–3 abortive locules; ovule pendent from a long funicle attached at the apex of the locule; styles 3–4, free, subterminal; stigmas simple or subcapitate

Source: [
• 5
]. 

Male flowers: calyx 4-partite, the segments imbricate; petals 4, imbricate; stamens 8 with the filaments subulate inserted below the disk; anthers ovate or sagittate, dorsifixed; disk ± cup-shaped, 8-crenulate with a 4-cleft vestigial ovary at the centre.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Female flowers: perianth similar to that of the male flowers; staminodes short; ovary ovoid or subglobose, 4-locular, with 2–3 abortive loculi; ovule pendent from a long funicle attached at the apex of the loculus; styles 3–4, subterminal; stigmas ± capitate.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Drupe obovoid or ovoid, ± compressed or subglobose; mesocarp thin; endocarp woody, the surface unequally ridged and alveolate, with 1–2 ovate opercules at the apex.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Shrublets, suffrutices, shrubs or trees, with the young parts and inflorescences stellately tomentose.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Panicles terminal or axillary, ± branched and pyramidal or spike-like (the lateral branches very short), often arising before the leaves.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Seeds ± reniform, compressed; cotyledons plano-convex.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Leaves alternate, imparipinnate or 3-foliolate or rarely 1-foliolate, usually clustered at the end of the branches; leaflets entire, sessile or petiolulate.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Arbres , arbustes ou sous-arbustes dioïques.'Feuilles'alternes, imparipennées, à 5-25 folioles opposées ou subopposées, moins souvent 3-foliolées, rarement 1-foliolées, ± garnies, surtout à l'état jeune, de poils étoilés.'Inflorescences'terminales ou axillaires, naissant avant ou en même temps que les feuilles, en panicules pyramidales, ou en panicules ± réduites à spiciformes.'Fleurs'♂♀, 4-mères, à préfloraison imbriquée.'Fleurs'♂ à calice légèrement gamosépale, à 4 lobes ± ovales; pétales 4, obovales à elliptiques; étamines 8, à filet subulé et à anthère ovale à sagitée, ± versatile; disque ± cupuliforme, ± 8-crénelé-lobulé, glabre; pistillode souvent 4-fide.'Fleurs'♀ à périanthe semblable à celui des ♂, à étamines plus petites et stériles; disque annulaire; ovaire ± ovoïde, à 4 loges dont 2-3 avortées; styles 3-4, subterminaux, courts, ± persistants, à stigmate terminal.'Drupes'oblongues à subsphériques, ± comprimées; mésocarpe ± pulpeux, mince; endocarpe lignifié, à surface irrégulièrement alvéolaire et bosselée, à 1-2 opercules au sommet, correspondant aux loges fertiles; opercules suborbiculaires, formés de 2 pièces soudées au milieu, se fendillant à la germination.'Graines ± réniformes, fortement comprimées.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Plantules à cotylédons épigés, plan-convexes; 2 premières feuilles opposées, simples.\n\t\t\t\tEnviron 40 espèces en Afrique et Asie tropicale, la plupart caducifoliées; 13 espèces et 2 variétés au Congo belge.

Source: [
• 9
].