Trees or shrubs. Branches glabrous or sometimes young branches yellow pubescent or glabrescent. Leaves in spirals, odd-pinnate; leaflets opposite; leaflet blades with margins entire. Thyrses axillary or subterminal, consisting of several cymes; peduncle long. Flowers bisexual, small. Calyx short, 4- or 5-lobed, lobes imbricate. Petals 4 or 5, elongated elliptic, much longer than sepals, distinct, imbricate in bud. Filament tube 8-10-parted; segments linear, tips 2-cleft; anthers 8-10, inserted between 2 lobes of filament tips. Disk annular, fleshy. Ovary glabrous or pubescent, 2- or 3-locular, with 2 collateral ovules per locule; style as long or slightly longer than ovary; stigma disciform or conic, tip 2- or 3-cleft. Fruit a capsule, 1-locular, glabrous or pubescent, dehiscing into 2 valves, with 1 or 2 seeds. Seeds with a white thin aril; endosperm absent; cotyledons thick, hemispheric.

Although Heynea has previously been included in Trichilia P. Browne, Trichilia is now considered to be genus of tropical Africa and America.

Two species: tropical and subtropical Asia; two species in China.

(Authors: Peng Hua (彭华); David J. Mabberley)