4385.000 Mallotus Lour.

Dioecious, or rarely monoecious trees or shrubs, stipulate, often with a stellate, or sometimes simple or mixed, indumentum. Leaves opposite or alternate, sometimes anisophyllous, petiolate, sometimes lobed, entire or toothed, with 2 or more basal glands on the upper surface, and often pellucid-gland-dotted on upper and lower surfaces, penni- or palmi-nerved. Inflorescences spicate, racemose or paniculate, terminal, subterminal or axillary, few- to many-flowered; male flowers commonly in fascicles along the axis, female flowers 1–2 per bract. Male flowers: calyx usually globose in bud, later valvately (2)3–4(5)-partite; petals absent. Female flowers: calyx shallowly to deeply imbricately or valvately 3–5(10)-lobed, persistent, or subspathaceous and caducous; petals absent; disk absent; ovary (2-)3(-4)-locular, with 1 ovule per loculus. Fruit globose or (2-)3(-4)-lobed, smooth or echinate, dehiscing septicidally into bivalved cocci leaving a more or less 3-winged persistent columella; endocarp crustaceous. Seeds globose or ovoid, the outer testa slightly fleshy or soft, the inner testa crustaceous, smooth, endosperm fleshy, cotyledons broad, flat.

Worldwide: 140 species mostly in the Old World, 2 species in Africa.

Zimbabwe: 1 taxon.