Atherospermataceae

Trees or shrubs, monoecious or dioecious, glabrous or hairy. Branchlets sometimes flattened or swollen at the nodes. Leaves simple, opposite, decussate, often with small oil dots, usually aromatic, margins variously toothed, crenate or entire; stipules absent. Inflorescence axillary or terminal, cymes, panicles, or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular, perigynous; perianth with 4–many segments in 1–several whorls, segments petaloid or sepaloid; stamens 4–many, opening by valves from the base upwards, sometimes with apical appendages; staminodes present or absent; carpels numerous, free, usually enclosed in the enlarged unilocular receptacle; ovule 1 per locule. Fruit an aggregate of achenes, sometimes retained within the expanded receptacle; seeds with copious endosperm.