About 85 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, but few apparently widely used in landscaping.  Leaves alternate, leathery, entire or crenate-serrate.  Flowers usually bisexual, 5 sepals, 5 petals, numerous stamens.  Fruit dehiscent, large seeds.  Native to Africa, Asia, and North, Central and South America.
Ternstroemia: after Christoper Ternstroem, a Swedish naturalist and traveler in China.

Pronunciation: 
tern-STRO-mi-a
Family: 
Theaceae