Shrubs or trees, rarely undershrubs. Leaves entire. Flowers regular. Calyx usually small. Petals or corolla-lobes 3-6, nearly always valvate in bud. Anthers opening by 2 longitudinal slits. Ovary superior or nearly so, rarely half-inferior or almost inferior, 1-celled, usually septate at the base, rarely 2-5-celled to the top. Ovules 1-5, pendulous from the apex of a usually free placenta, inverted. Style simple. Fruit indehiscent. Seed 1, with a small embryo and abundant albumen.--Genera 11, species 70. Tropical and South Africa. (Plate 36.) 1. Ovary superior, 1-celled, sometimes septate at the base. Ovules 2-3, with no coat. 2 Ovary superior, 1-celled with 4-5 ovules, or completely or nearly completely 3-4-celled, or more or less inferior. Ovules with 1-2 coats. 5 2. Filaments united into a long tube. Stamens 4-5, as many as and opposite the divisions of the corolla. Disc 4-5-lobed. Calyx enlarged in fruit. Flowers in racemes or panicles. [Tribe APTANDREAE.] 3 Filaments free or nearly so. [Tribe OLACEAE.] 4 3. Flowers 4-merous, unisexual. Ovules 2. Calyx cupular, not splitting at the time of maturity.--Species 1. West Africa. =Aptandra= Miers Flowers 5-merous. Ovules 3. Calyx splitting into 3 segments at the time of maturity.--Species 2. Equatorial West Africa. They yield timber and oily seeds which are also used in medicine. =Ongokea= Pierre 4. Ovules 2. Stamens 5-10. Calyx not enlarged in fruit.--Species 6. West Africa. =Ptychopetalum= Benth. Ovules 3. Stamens 6-12, of which 3-6 are fertile. Calyx enlarged in fruit.--Species 40. Tropics. Some species yield timber. (Plate 36.) =Olax= L. 5. Stamens as many as and opposite the petals, 4-6, free or nearly so. [Tribe ANACOLOSEAE.] 6 Stamens 2-4 times as many as the petals. Ovary superior, completely or almost completely 3-4-celled. 9 6. Ovary superior, septate at the base, with 4-5 ovules. Flowers 5-merous, in panicles.--Species 1. Island of Mauritius. =Stolidia= Baill. Ovary inferior or half-inferior. Flowers in axillary spikes, racemes or fascicles. 7 7. Flowers 6-merous. Calyx entire or toothed. Ovary very incompletely 2-celled. Ovules 2.--Species 1. Madagascar. =Anacolosa= Blume Flowers 4-5-merous. Ovary completely or almost completely 3-4-celled. Ovules 3-4. 8 8. Flowers 4-merous. Calyx shortly toothed. Ovary 4-celled. Fruit a drupe.--Species 2. Equatorial West Africa. =Strombosiopsis= Engl. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx deeply divided. Ovary 3-celled. Fruit a berry.--Species 7. Central Africa. (Including _Lavalleopsis_ Van Tiegh.) =Strombosia= Blume 9. Stamens 3-4 times as many as the petals, 12-20. Calyx entire, not enlarged in fruit. Juice resinous.--Species 1. Equatorial West Africa. Yields timber and edible oily seeds. [Tribe COULEAE.] =Coula= Baill. Stamens twice as many as the petals, 8-12. Calyx 4-6-toothed. Juice not resinous. 10