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Aromatic woody or herbaceous vines, roots often tuberous; stem of several species with thick, fissured cork. Leaves: with or without axillar pseudostipules; petioles long, twisting; blades entire, 3-lobed in 2 species, base usually cordate, venation prominent beneath, main veins pedate at base, tertiary veins forming a tight net. Flowers solitary or in racemose or cymose inflorescences, axillary or cauliflorous; flowers resupinate, as a result of twisting of the inferior ovary; perianth composed of 3 sepals, zygomorphic, slightly curved to tightly S-shaped, its 3 parts easy to distinguish: the basal, inflated utricle, the narrow or trumpet-shaped median tube, the distal part, usually 1-to 3-lobed, very variable in shape, size and colour; ovary 6-celled, long and narrow, barely thicker than the pedicel, apex forming a hexandrous gynostemium with 6 anthers and 6 stigmatic lobes in the utricle. Capsules 6-locular, cylindric, with dorsal keel on each cell; dehiscence septicidal, starting from the peduncle and incomplete, dehisced fruit basket-like; seeds numerous, generally flat, piled in each cell, often winged, seed coat slightly verrucose, adaxially with a longitudinal prominent raphe.
Herbs or lianas , perennial. Stems erect, twining, or procumbent. Leaves alternate, 2-ranked (evident on young growth, becoming obscure with age in some species); true stipules absent; pseudostipules absent [present]; petiole sometimes very short. Leaf blade membranous to leathery. Inflorescences on new growth or on older stems, axillary, racemes or solitary flowers; bracts present. Flowers: calyx usually mixture of purple, brown, green, or red, bilaterally symmetric, tubular, usually bent or curved, 1-or 3-lobed, not fleshy, base with utricle (basal, inflated portion of calyx surrounding or containing gynostemium); tube narrowed, sometimes extended proximally as cylindric syrinx (tubular or ringlike structure at juncture of tube and utricle, projecting into utricle cavity) and distally as annulus (circular flange at juncture of tube and limb) on limb; corolla absent; stamens 5-6, adnate to styles and stigmas, forming gynostemium; ovary inferior, 3-, 5-, or 6-locular; styles 3, 5, or 6, connate in column. Capsule dry, dehiscent. Seeds flattened or rounded, sometimes winged. x = 6, 7, 8.
Shrubs or herbs, rarely subshrubs or lianas, usually twining or climbing, rarely erect. Roots often tuberous. Stems woody or herbaceous. Leaves alternate, veins pinnate or palmately 3-7 from base, margin entire or 3-7-lobed. Flowers axillary, sometimes produced from old woody stems, solitary, fasciculate, or arranged in inflorescences. Perianth uniseriate, zygomorphic (in China). Calyx lobes fused; tube often enlarged at or near base to form a utricle, apically cylindric or funnel-shaped, rectilinear or curved; limb ligulate, discoid, or subpeltate; lobes 1-3 (less commonly to 6-dentate). Stamens 6 in 1 series, fully adnate to the style column to form gynostemium; filaments absent; anthers extrorse. Ovary inferior, 6-loculed, 6-angled; carpels fully connate; gynostemium 3-or 6-lobed. Fruit dry capsules, 6-valved, dehiscing from the apex (acropetally) or from the base (basipetally) [or rarely indehiscent]. Seeds flat or plano-convex, with or without wing, with fleshy funicle, persistent on seed as a membranous elaiosome.
Twining herbaceous or robust vines with mostly little-branched stems sometimes extending up to 30 m or more. Roots fibrous or tuberous. Leaves entire, mostly coriaceous; pseudo-stipules absent. Flowers zygomorphic, borne on old wood or on young leafy shoots, axillary or leaf-opposed, solitary or in few-flowered racemes. Calyx tube sigmoid, inflated basally forming utricle that encloses sexual organs, then constricted before slightly or gradually widened upwards into limb; limb regularly or irregularly 3-lobed; lobes spreading or connate at apex. Petals absent. Anthers 6–24, sessile, entirely united with dorsal side of stigma (including stigmatic lobes). Ovary inferior, 6-locular; stigmatic lobes 6–12 (6 in Australia). Fruit capsular, indehiscent, slightly to strongly 6-ribbed, somewhat fleshy, yellow to orange when ripe. Seeds dorsiventrally compressed, flat or convex-concave, without lateral wing; elaiosome absent.
Lianas, rarely upright perennial herbs, shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, petiolate, estipulate but an axillary bud often producing a clasping, broadly reni-form leaf (pseudostipule); blade entire or 3 to 7-lobed, often cordate, palmately or pinnately veined, variable. Flowers axillary, solitary, perfect, epigynous, zygo-morphic. Calyx gamosepalous, variously inflated, thence more or less contracted, expanding into a 1-to 3-lobed limb. Corolla absent. Stamens typically 6, the anthers sessile and adnate to the style, 2-celled, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary inferior, 6-loculate; placentation axile, the ovules numerous, anatropous. Styles 6, marginally connate, fleshy, with coroniform stigmatic lobes, or essentially capitate. Fruit a capsule, septicidally or septifragally 6-valved, often dehiscing acropetally. Seeds numerous, horizontally compressed in vertical rows, the embryo rudimentary in abundant endosperm.
Erect, twining or scandent herbs, shrubs or vines. Roots fibrous or tuberous. Leaves entire; pseudo-stipules absent or sometimes present. Flowers zygomorphic, axillary, often solitary or clustered. Calyx tube straight to sigmoid, inflated basally forming utricle that encloses sexual organs, then constricted before expanding into limb; limb 1-or 2-lobed, often highly coloured petaloid limb. Petals absent. Anthers 6, sessile, entirely united with dorsal side of stigma (including stigmatic lobes). Ovary inferior, 6-locular; stigmatic lobes 6. Fruit a capsule, usually 6-valved, septicidally dehiscent mostly from base, closed at apex; pedicel splitting concurrently. Seeds dorso-ventrally compressed, flat, occasionally laterally winged; elaiosome usually present.
Erect, twining or scrambling perennial herbs or shrubs. Leaves entire or mostly 3–7-lobed, usually cordate, 3–7-nerved, sometimes with an undeveloped axillary stipule-like leaf. Flowers irregular, solitary or in fascicles, axillary, with coloured perianth, adnate to ovary below, elongate tubular, variously bent, usually inflated at base around the style, hairy inside, narrowed at the throat; limb open or recurved, entire or 3–6-lobed. Stamens usually 6 or more, the anthers sessile in a row adnate to the style or dorsal side of the stigma. Ovary inferior, usually 6-locular; style short, 3–6-lobed at apex. Capsule septicidally dehiscent, with 6 valves or splitting through the placentas. Seeds compressed, mostly winged all round or thick with an elaiosome.
Cal tubular, irregular, S-shaped or pipe-shaped and 3-lobed at the summit, or straight and with a single unilateral terminal lobe; pet none; stamens in ours 6; anthers sessile, adnate to the style; ovary inferior, 6-locular (in ours); style short and stout; stigma broad, with 6 (in ours) lobes or angles; fr a septicidal, lobed or angled capsule, with numerous compressed, horizontal seeds; herbs or woody vines, usually with broad, alternate, palmately veined lvs, and with small or large fls solitary or fascicled in the axils. 500, cosmop.
Perianth coloured, tubular; the tube constricted briefly above its attachment to the ovary apex, then abruptly inflated into a subglobose or oblong–ellipsoid utricle, cylindrical or funnel-shaped above the utricle and straight or variously bent, expanding into a very variable, sometimes unilateral, entire or 3–6-lobed limb.
Ovary inferior, usually merging imperceptibly into the pedicel, usually 6-locular; style with 3–6 stigmatic lobes.
Flowers usually zygomorphic, solitary, fasciculate or in racemose inflorescences, sometimes very large.
Leaves entire or 3–7-lobed, usually cordate, 3–7-nerved, sometimes with an axillary stipule-like leaf.
Seeds numerous, usually with a peripheral wing, often ± covered on one side by the thickened raphe.
Perennial herbs or shrubs, erect, scrambling or climbing, often with a fetid smell.
Stamens usually 6, rarely more; anthers sessile, adnate to the stylar column.
Fruits capsular, 6-valved, dehiscing septicidally.
