Description from Flora of China Shrubs, small trees, or
perennial herbs, gynodioecious or hermaphroditic, deciduous,
whole plant sometimes with extrafloral nectariferous glands.
Branches smooth, striate, or warty, with stout pith. Leaves with
or without stipules, imparipinnate, or incompletely bipinnate,
rarely laciniate; leaflets serrate or divided, opposite or
alternate. Inflorescences terminal, flat or convex corymbs or
panicles, pedunculate or sessile. Flowers actinomorphic or
sometimes dimorphic, sometimes with glandular nectaries,
articulate with pedicel; bracts mostly absent; bracteoles 1 or
absent. Calyx tube: limb 3-5-parted; corolla rotate, white,
lobes 3-5. Stamens 5, inserted at base of corolla; filaments
erect, filiform; anthers 2-celled, oblong, cells free, attached
at middle. Ovary locules 3-5, ovules 1 per locule; style
cushionlike; stigmas 3 or 5. Fruit berrylike, 3-5-seeded; seeds
triquetrous or ellipsoid; embryo ca. as long as seed. See Bolli,
Diss. Bot. 223: 1-227. 1994; Eriksson and Donog