Shrubs or small trees. Leaves shortly petiolate, ± discolorous, lower surface with few ± branching subparallel veins. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, in terminal or axillary spikes (rarely solitary) on previous season's (or older) wood; base of spikes with sterile bracts; each flower subtended by a bract and 2 bracteoles immediately subtending the sepals; corolla 5-partite, campanulate, glabrous inside or bearded near the throat; lobes triangular, valvate or imbricate distally in bud, spreading or recurved (rarely revolute); anthers usually oblong, ± exserted from corolla tube; filaments slender, adnate to corolla tube; nectary annular, or in distinct scales; ovary glabrous, 8–11-locular with 1 ovule per locule, style glabrous, short; stigma ± lobed. Fruit a drupe with pulpy mesocarp, the hard endocarp separating into pyrenes.
About 16 species, occurring in Australia and Malesia; 7 in Australia (eastern States).