Description from Flora of China Trees or shrubs, also woody
climbers or perennial herbs, resiniferous secretory ducts in
bark and foliage, plants turpentine-smelling, blackening when
wounded, hermaphroditic, polygamo-dioecious or dioecious. Leaves
often clustered distally, alternate, exstipulate, simple,
trifoliolate or imparipinnate. Inflorescences terminal or
axillary thyrsoids or panicles; floral subtending bracts small,
or sometimes large, membranous and fused to pedicel (Dobinea).
Flowers small, actinomorphic, 3-5-merous, bisexual to unisexual;
receptacle sometimes elongate and barrel-shaped (Mangifera).
Perianth usually double (single in Pistacia or lacking in female
flowers in Dobinea); sepals fused basally and lobed (bractlike
in Pistacia), imbricate or valvate in bud, caducous or
persistent. Petals free or adnate basally to extended
receptacle, imbricate or valvate, deciduous to persistent.
Stamens in 1 or 2 whorls, 1 (Anacardium, Mangifera), several, or
all fertile; filaments slender, sometimes conn