Description:

• Trees or shrubs
• Leaves alternate, petiolate; blade ovate, elliptic, suborbicular or oblong, sometimes large; stipules 0, minute or large
• Inflorescence an axillary or terminal raceme or panicle
• Flowers bisexual
• Calyx: tube turbinate; sepals 7-9, usually narrow, persistent
• Petals 7-9, inserted in mouth of calyx tube, alternating with and similar to sepals but broader, persistent
• Stamens solitary or in fascicles of 2 or 3 or more, alternating with glands which are adnate to base of sepals, terete; anthers small, didymous
• Ovary semisuperior, 1-locular with 2-5 parietal placentas; styles 2-5; stigmas simple or capitate
• Fruit a semisuperior, leathery capsule, 1- or few-seeded, opening at apex by 2-5 valves
• Seeds 1 or few
• x = 9, 10, 11 (1 report each)

Nomenclature:

• Homalium Jacq.
  • Jacquin 5, 24 (1760)
  • Harvey: 72 (1860)
  • Wild: 287 (1960)
  • Sleumer: 239 (1973)
  • Killick: 74 (1976)
• Blackwellia Comm.
  • Commerson: 343 (1789)
  • Harvey: 72 (1860)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species ± 180, cosmopolitan, tropical and subtropical
• Southern Africa: Species 3, Namibia, Northern Province, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape near East London