Shrubs, more rarely trees, to 12 m; latex sometimes present, milky [clear]. Stems erect, unarmed, glabrous or eglandular-pubescent. Leaves persistent, alternate, petiolate; stipular colleters interpetiolar; laminar colleters absent. Inflorescences extra-axillary, occasionally terminal, cymose, pedunculate. Flowers: calycine colleters absent; corolla white [yellowish orange], salverform, rarely urceolate-salverform, aestivation sinistrorse; corolline corona absent; androecium and gynoecium not united into a gynostegium; stamens inserted at or near orifice of corolla tube; anthers not connivent, adherent to stigma, connectives apiculate, locules 4; pollen free, not massed into pollinia, translators absent; nectary adherent to base of ovary. Fruits drupaceous, solitary (paired), erect, white, oblong-ovoid to reniform, terete to somewhat compressed, smooth, glabrous. Seeds oblong-ovoid, somewhat flattened, not winged, not beaked, not comose, not arillate. x = 10.

Distribution

Florida, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America.

Discussion

Species ca. 10 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Vallesia antillana