Shrubs or small trees. Inflorescences terminal, leaf-opposed, axillary, or extra-axillary, fasciculate or 1-flowered. Flowers pedicellate. Torus convex. Sepals 3, valvate, connate at base. Petals 6, in 2 whorls, with each whorl valvate, erect to spreading flat, subequal or outer larger than inner. Stamens many, all fertile or inner stamens sometimes reduced to staminodes; anther locules linear-oblong; connectives apically apiculate. Carpels few to many; ovules 2 per carpel, basal; stigmas subglobose to oblong. Fruit apocarpous; monocarps long stipitate, clavate, dehiscent. Seeds 1 or 2 per monocarp, black and very shiny, without an aril.

Both molecular (Richardson et al., Philos. Trans., Ser. B, 359: 1495-1508. 2004) and morphological studies (Scharaschkin & Doyle, Amer. J. Bot. 93: 36-54. 2006) show that Anaxagorea is the sister group to the rest of the family.

About 27 species: tropical Asia and America; one species in China.

(Authors: Li Bingtao (李秉滔 Li Ping-tao); Michael G. Gilbert)