[3][4] It is native to tropical parts of the Americas, the West Indies, Asia, Australia, and Africa (including Madagascar).

[2][5][6] Omphalea has monoecious, apetalous flowers and fleshy fruits with hard centers.

The Madagascan species are O. ankaranensis, a shrub from the limestone karst of northern Madagascar, O. palmata Leandri, a dry forest shrub closely related to O. ankaranensis but from western Madagascar, O. occidentalis Leandri, also a dry forest species of western Madagascar, and O. oppositifilia (Willdenow), a tree from the east coast rainforest of Madagascar.

[7] The Madagascan sunset moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus) feeds on all four of these species.

moved to other genera (Mabea Phyllanthus Sapium Sebastiania Senefeldera )