Shrubs or trees, evergreen, hermaphroditic, with few to many spines, glabrous or stellate pubescent. Leaves simple, palmately lobed or appearing almost palmately compound, with a fanlike base and lobes constricted to midvein, margin serrate; stipules ligulate, partly or fully united. Inflorescence a terminal or pseudo-lateral raceme or panicle of umbels; bracts small to large, persistent or caducous. Pedicels not articulate below ovary. Calyx margin entire or minutely lobed. Petals 7-12, valvate, often cohering and calyptrate, falling as a single unit or abscissing separately. Stamens as many as petals. Ovary 6-16-carpellate; styles united into a short column. Fruit a drupe, globose to ovoid. Seeds depressed; endosperm uniform.

About 10 species: SE Asia, Indochina, India, Nepal; one species in SW China.