Trees or shrubs. Leaves undulate. Inflorescences terminal and/or axillary. Flowers actinomorphic, hypogynous, functionally unisexual, sweetly-scented; male with long filaments, fertile anthers and slender sterile ovary; female with short filaments, reduced sterile anthers and stout fertile
ovary. Derivation of name: from Greek: pitta meaning resin, spora meaning seed, referring to the resinous seeds. Worldwide: 150 species in tropical and South Africa, New Zealand and Pacific. Zimbabwe: 6 cultivated taxa. |