genus descriptions: SSTAs

Dioecious, or rarely monoecious trees or shrubs often with a stellate, or sometimes simple or mixed, indumentum. Leaves opposite or alternate, sometimes anisophyllous, petiolate, stipulate, sometimes lobed, entire or toothed, with 2 or more basal glands on upper surface, and often pellucid-gland-dotted on upper and lower surfaces, penni- or palminerved. Inflorescence s unisexual, spicate, racemose or paniculate, terminal, subterminal or axillary, few- to many-flowered; male flowers commonly in fascicles along the axis, female flowers 1-2 per bract. Male flowers : calyx usually globose in bud, later valvately (2)3-4(5)-partite; petals absent; disc glands absent or many, free, dispersed amongst stamens; stamens many, on a slightly elevated receptacle, filaments free, anthers subdorsifixed with a variable connective, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode absent or rarely minute. Female flowers : calyx shallowly to deeply imbricately or valvately 3-5(-10)-lobed, persistent, or subspathaceous and caducous; petals absent; disc absent; ovary (2)3(4)-locular, with 1 ovule per locule; styles free or connate at base, simple, recurved, papillose or plumose. Fruit s globose or (2)3(4)-lobed, smooth or echinate, dehiscing septicidally into bivalved cocci leaving a +/- 3-winged persistent columella; endocarp crustaceous. Seed s globose or ovoid, ecarunculate, outer testa slightly fleshy or soft, inner testa crustaceous, smooth or rugulose, endosperm fleshy, cotyledons broad, flat.

Trees or shrubs, monoecious, without latex; indumentum of simple hairs. Leaves alternate, simple, shortly petiolate, entire to glandular-serrate, with 2 basal glands, penninerved, often with translucid dots and often at base of upper surface with 2 short filiform or glanduliform appendages; stipulate. Inflorescences usually bisexual, spicate or racemose, axillary, with laxly flowered glomerules usually consisting of 1 female flower and 2 or more male flowers. Flowers very small, fragrant; pedicel long to 0, not jointed. Male flowers : calyx subglobose and apiculate, valvately splitting into 3 or 4 sepals; petals 0; disc glands many, free, minute; stamens 10-40, filaments free, filiform, anther connective divided into 2 branches, thecae free, at apex of branches, pendulous in bud, at length flexuous-divaricate, dehiscing distally; pistillode usually 0; receptacle convex. Female flowers : sepals 3-6, imbricate, +/- free; petals 0; disc flattened, deeply 3-6-lobed with lobes opposite sepals; ovary 3-locular, with 1 ovule per locule; styles 3, +/- free, accumbent on ovary, laciniate-plumulose. Fruit deeply 3-lobed, dehiscing septicidally into 3 bivalved cocci leaving a persistent columella; exocarp puberulous; endocarp woody. Seeds subglobose, smooth, ecarunculate; testa thinly crustaceous to chartaceous; endosperm fleshy; cotyledons broad, flat.

Monoecious perennial herbs with several short erect stems arising from a thick, much-branched woody rootstock; indumentum of multicellular, branched or unbranched, colourless hairs; latex white. Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate, blades simple, obovate, elliptic, lanceolate or linear, entire to minutely serrulate, often with 1 or 2 glands on the margin towards the base; stipules minute, soon deciduous. Inflorescences terminal on main axes, overtopped by lateral leafy shoots, spicate or racemiform, mostly male with 1-4 female flowers at base. Male flowers with short pedicels; calyx lobes 3(4), triangular, with reddish tinge; petals 0; stamens 3(4), free; male bracts with 2 fleshy stipitate glands, one on each side. Female flowers subsessile to shortly stalked in fruit; calyx lobes 3(4), larger than in male flowers, often alternating with minute glands; ovary 3-lobed, each lobe with 2 (or more) +/- conical appedages, styles 3. Fruit 3-lobed, septicidally dehiscent into 3 bivalved cocci, each valve with a small appendage. Seeds subcylindric, smooth, slightly shiny, pale grey, with a fleshy caruncle.

Dioecious or monoecious trees with a simple indumentum; buds often with protective scales. Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate, simple, crenate-serrate to subentire, chartaceous or subcoriaceous, penninerved, sparingly gland-dotted on lower surface; petioles often pulvinate and geniculate. Inflorescence s axillary, solitary or congested, pedunculate or sessile, spicate, racemose or subpaniculate, unisexual or bisexual; bracts rigid, +/- scarious. Male flowers shortly pedicellate; calyx closed in bud, ovoid, apiculate, later splitting into 4 or 5 valvate lobes; petals absent; stamens many, inserted on a globose receptacle, filaments free, anthers with slightly oblique pendulous thecae, apicifixed, introrse, longitudinally dehiscent, connective produced; disc glands free; pistillode absent. Femaleflowers subsessile or very shortly pedicellate; sepals (4)5(6), imbricate, persistent; petals absent; disc hypogynous, annular or cupuliform, entire or +/- crenulate, thick, pubescent or setose; ovary 3-celled, with 1 ovule per cell; styles 3, +/- free or connate at base, bifid or bipartite, papillose. Fruit tricoccous, or dicoccous by abortion, dehiscing septicidally into 3 bivalved cocci leaving a columella; endocarp thinly woody. Seed s subglobose, ecarunculate.