Plant
- Small to medium shrub or small tree
- Broad-leaved evergreen or deciduous, depending on species
Twig
- Alternate leaf arrangement
Leaf
- Numerous species vary in character
- ½-4" long
- Simple
- Evergreen or deciduous, depending on species
- Sharp- or shallow-toothed leaves, depending on species
- Evergreen species: thick, leathery, glossy
Flower
- Small, up to ⅓" wide
- Dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants)
- Greenish- to pinkish-white
Fruit
- Small, up to ⅓" long
- Red
- Form only on female plants