Infl. various, often of racemes or spikes; fls minute, regular, perfect to unisexual. Per. of 1 series of 4-5 sepaloid or petaloid valvate tepals; stamens opp. tepals; filaments short, anthers 2-celled, basifixed on short filaments. Ovary inferior, embedded in receptacle, or superior, 1-loculed; carpels (2)-3-5; ovules us. 3, pend. on basal placentae; stigma capitate to 3-5-lobed. Fr. nutlike to drupaceous; seed without testa, embryo straight, endosperm fleshy. Trees, shrubs or herbs, sts parasitic, with us. opp., entire, exstipulate, sts scalelike lvs. Some 26 widely distributed genera and a large but indefinite number of spp.