Meliaceae

Trees, shrubs, or rarely subshrubs; dioecious, monoecious or polygamous. Leaves spirally arranged, rarely decussate, 1–3-pinnate, rarely simple, petiolate, stipules absent; vegetative buds naked or with scale-leaves. Inflorescence axillary to cauliflorous or epiphyllous, usually thrsoid, rarely racemose, spicate or with flowers in pairs or solitary. Flowers actinomorphic, pedicellate, bracts present; sepals (2–)3–5(–7), fused or free, imbricate or valvate in bud; petals 3–6(–14), fused or free; stamens (3–)5–12(–23), fused or free, anthers 2-locular, longitudinally dehiscent, included or exserted; disc present or absent; ovary superior, (1–)2–6(–20)-locular, ovules 1–many per loculus, style 1 or rarely absent, stigma capitate or disc-shaped, entire or lobed. Fruit a berry, capsule or drupe; seeds winged, or unwinged with a fleshy aril or sarcotesta or a woody or corky sarcotesta, or unwinged, without an aril or sarcotesta.