KEY TO THE GENERA

1Stamens 10-∞. Carpels (3-)5-10(-15), free. Fruits 1-5, 1-seeded drupes on a swollen torus. Leaves distichous.
1'Stamens 5. Carpels 2-5, fused. Fruit a more-seeded berry or capsule; torus not distinctly enlarged in fruit. Leaves alternate, not distichous.
2Anthers opening with 2 apical pores. Stipules intrapetiolarly united. Inflorescences with (1-)3-∞, ± remote flowers, usually thyrsoid, sometimes simple cymes.
2'Anthers opening with 2 longitudinal slits. Stipules free. Inflorescences of umbelloid appearance with ∞ flowers in conferted, cymose clusters of 3 or more.
3Stamens 12-∞; ovaries (3-)5-10(-15); embryo straight. Leaves without an intra-marginal nerve.
3'Stamens 10; ovaries 5; embryo curved. Leaves with a distinct intra-marginal nerve.
4Ovary 5-carpelled,5-celled. Fruit a berry. Anthers opening by 1 apical pore. Leaf margin always stiffly, though sometimes very finely, denticulate.
4'Ovary 3-carpelled, 1-celled. Fruit a capsule. Anthers opening by 2 longitudinal slits. Leaf margin entire or (bi)serrulate.
5Seeds not winged. Fruit opening with 3 valves. Inflorescences simple, or compound and (nearly) all branches shortened. Leaves evenly spaced. Leaf margin (bi)serrulate. Shrubs or undershrubs.
5'Seeds winged. Fruit opening with 3 longitudinal slits under the persistent style. Inflorescences much-branched panicles. Leaves distinctly tufted. Leaf margin entire, glandular dotted. Treelets, usually not exceeding 15m.
6Inflorescences axillary; the rachis bearing a varying number of bracts, but only 1 flower. Undershrubs, up to 1 m, but often much smaller.
6'Inflorescences terminal (or pseudo-axillary by sympodial growth), many-flowered. Shrublets or shrubs, up to 7 m high.
7Staminodes 10, in 1 whorl. Fruit subglobose. Leaf blades oblanceolate, up to 35 cm long.
7'Staminodes ∞, in more than 1 whorl, those of the inner whorl larger. Fruit fusiform. Leaf blades linear oblong, up to 17 cm long.