Trees or shrubs with hard resinous wood. Leaves opposite; leaflets 2-14 pairs, oblique, entire, leathery; stipules small, triangular. Inflorescence of dichasial cymes in umbellate fascicles, or flowers solitary from between the stipules. Flowers pedicellate, ebracteate, actinomorphic, hypogynous, blue, purple or white. Sepals 4-5, free, unequal, deciduous, imbricate. Petals 4-5, free, broadly obovate, imbricate. Stamens 8-10, inserted on the disc, unappendaged, filaments filiform, anthers oblong. Carpels 2-5; ovary stipitate, obovate or clavate, 2-5-loculed, each locule with 8-10 pendulous ovules; style simple. Fruit 2-5-loculed, leathery, 2-5-lobed or winged, rounded or compressed, septicidally dehiscent capsule. Seeds ovoid, one in each locule, testa slimy; embryo straight.

A small genus of 6 species; distributed in the warmer regions of America and the West Indies.

Lower Taxon

• Guaicum officinale Linn.