Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, petiolate, pinninerved. Cymose panicle axillary or terminal, branched, pedunculate. Flowers bisexual, pedicellate; bracteoles minute. Perianth tube short; perianth lobes 6, unequal, outer 3 much smaller. Fertile stamens 9; filaments villous, those of 3rd whorl each with 2 shortly stalked orbicular-reniform or broadly reniform glands, others glandless; anthers 4-celled, cells of 1st and 2nd whorls all introrse but those of 3rd whorl extrorse or lateral-extrorse. Staminodes 3, of innermost whorl, triangular-cordate, shortly stalked. Ovary ovoid; style slender; stigma capitate. Drupe berrylike, ellipsoid or globose.

One of the present authors (van der Werff) is of the opinion that the two species placed here in Nothaphoebe do not belong to this genus and that, instead, N. cavaleriei is better placed in Phoebe, while N. konishii is better placed in Machilus. The generic placement of N. fargesii H. Liu (Laurac. Chine & Indochine, 78. 1932; see FRPS 31: 82. 1982), described from Chongqing (Chengkou), remains uncertain.

About 40 species: SE Asia and North America; two species (both endemic) in China.

(Authors: Li Xiwen (李锡文 Li Hsi-wen), Li Jie (李捷); Henk van der Werff)