Leptonychia

Evergreen shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, petiolate, oblong, acuminate, base rounded; small axillary domatia often present on lower surface. Inflorescences axillary or on old wood, cymose; bracts present; pedicels articulate. Flowers bisexual; buds oblong, sometimes constricted in the middle, acute. Sepals 5, +/- free, oblong, acute, usually puberulous with stellate hairs on outer surface. Petals 5, very short, concave, somewhat fleshy, ciliate, cohering at margins. Stamens +/- 25, in 5 fascicles opposite petals; filaments basally fused into a short collar; 1-5 staminodes present in each fascicle; anthers with 2 opposite thecae, oblong, dehiscing laterally. Ovary 3-5-locular with 5-10 ovules per locule in 2 vertical rows on a central placenta; style central, cylindric; stigma minute, 3(5)-toothed. Fruit a subglobose, 3- to 5-locular, loculicidally dehiscent capsule opening with rugose and stellately tomentose valves. Seeds 1 in each locule, large; testa black, covered by a red spongy aril; endosperm horny; embryo straight, cotyledons foliaceous.