Herbs or shrubs, monoecious, without stinging hairs. Stipules free,
lateral. Leaves alternate, spirally arranged (in ours), petiolate, entire or serrate. Cystoliths dot-like. Inflorescence of compact, axillary, bisexual clusters. Male flowers pedicellate, 4-5-merous. Female flowers sessile, with an indefinite number of tepals fused into a tube. Worldwide: 70 species in the tropics Caprivi: 2 cultivated taxa. |
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