Pl. Asiaticae Rar. 2: 69 (1831).

Bernieria Baill., Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Paris 1: 434 (1884). — Type: Bernieria madagascariensis Baill.

Thouvenotia Danguy, Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris) 26: 652 (1920). — Type: Thouvenotia madagascariensis Danguy.

Apollonias sensu Kosterm., Notul. Syst. (Paris) 8: 67 (1939); Fl. Madagascar, Fam. 81: 2 (1950).

TYPE. — Beilschmiedia roxburghiana Nees.

Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate or subopposite, sometimes grouped at tips of branches, pinnately veined, entire, petiolate, domatia lacking. Inflorescences axillary, few-to many-flowered, paniculate, the flowers cymosely or racemosely arranged along the ultimate branchlets. Flowers bisexual, small, greenish, the tepals frequently incurved and flowers thus globose or depressed globose; rarely tepals spreading and flowers disclike; tepals 6, in 2 series of 3, very rarely 4, in 2 series of 2, fertile stamens usually 9, in 3 whorls of 3, very rarely 6, in 3 whorls of 2, filaments variously developed, all anthers 2-celled, the outer 6 with cells introrse or rarely lateral, the inner 3 with cells extrorse or latrorse, and with 2 glands attached at or near the base; staminodia 3, usually well-developed. Floral tube short or lacking. Pistil ovoid, glabrous or pubescent, style and stigma variously developed. Fruit seated on the pedicel with tepals sometimes persisting at the base.

In the wide sense employed here, Beilschmiedia is a pantropical genus, well represented in Africa, with possibly 250 species. Nine species are recognized from Madagascar, all endemic.