sect. Webbia (Spach) R. Keller

Shrubs or sometimes single-stemmed and arborescent, up to 4 m tall, deciduous, glabrous, without dark glands; branching lateral. Stems 4-lined and compressed (ancipitous) when young, not usually becoming terete in first season, glandular, especially on lines; cortex dull reddish brown; bark smooth, pale reddish brown to whitish grey. Leaves opposite or abnormally 3-whorled, decussate, sessile, free, deciduous at basal articulation; lamina entire, with venation pinnate, closed, with tertiary reticulation dense; laminar glands punctiform; marginal gland dots dense, relatively large; ventral glands absent. Inflorescence up to 30-flowered, with branching dichasial/monochasial from 1-5 nodes, sometimes with flowering branches from up to 7 lower nodes; bracts and bracteoles foliar or reduced. Flowers stellate, homostylous. Sepals 5, partly united, persistent, erect to spreading or subreflexed in fruit, with margin glandular; veins 5-7; laminar glands linear to punctiform; marginal glands very small, sessile or on short cilia; submarginal and inframarginal glands absent. Petals 5, persistent, spreading and twisting after flowering, with apiculus obsolete or absent; margin entire; marginal glands absent; laminar glands linear. Stamen fascicles 3 (i.e. united 2+2+1), distinct, with stamens 36-75; filaments basally united; anthers yellow, gland amber; pollen type L Ovary with 3 (sometimes incompletely) axile placentae, o- ovulate; styles 3, free, bases divaricate; stigmas subclavate to narrowly capitate. Capsule 3-valves, coriaceous, with valves finely and obscurely striate. Seeds narrowly cylindric or conico-cylindric, not or slightly carinate, apically truncate; testa linear-reticulate to linear-foveolate.