Nauclea

Medium-sized to large trees; terminal vegetative buds strongly flattened. Leaves opposite, petiolate, axils of nerves with or without domatia; stipules ovate, obovate or elliptic, flattened, adpressed, deciduous or +/- persistent. Inflorescences terminal or terminal and lateral with unbranched axes; nodes with reduced leaves and stipules surrounding young inflorescence not modified into bracts; true peduncle glabrous or pubescent, elongating. Flowers 4- or 5-merous. Calyx glabrous or pubescent inside; tube developed or not; lobes triangular or oblong, obtuse, with or without persistent appendages. Corolla: tube funnel-shaped; lobes oblong, imbricate. Stamens arising in throat, exserted; filaments short, glabrous; anthers basifixed, introrse. Ovaries entirely fused to each other, 2-locular; placentas attached to upper third of septum, Y-shaped with 2 short ascending arms and a long basal one; ovules many in each locule, mostly pendulous, some erect or horizontal but these mostly aborting; style exserted; stigma spindle-shaped. Fruits indehiscent, connate into a fleshy syncarp. Seeds ovoid or ellipsoid, sometimes compressed, not winged.