Description

Trees, shrubs or suffrutices. Leaves alternate, 3-foliolate. Panicles terminal, axillary or both. Flowers unisexual, rarely bisexual, very small (calyx segments usually less than 1 mm, petals usually less than 2 mm). Male flowers: calyx (4-)5(-6)-partite; petals (4-)5(-6), white, green or yellow; stamens 5; pistillode usually 0. Female flowers: calyx and petals similar to male; staminodes frequently present; ovary usually 1-locular. Styles 3. Fruit a spherical or ovoid and flattened drupe, frequently asymmetrical. Seeds ovoid or reniform, flattened.  A common genus in Zimbabwe and by no means always an easy one to name. Species of Rhus with toothed leaflets can easily be confused with species of Allophylus. See this note as to how to separate them.