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Small trees, occasionally vine-like, usually dioecious or monoecious, rarely ☿. Lvs in terminal clusters, large, variously lobed, usually palmate. Calyx very small, 5-lobed; teeth narrow. Corolla tubular or funnelform; lobes linear to lanceolate; petals ± free in ♀ fls. Stamens inserted at corolla throat; connective usually prominent and elongated. Ovary 1-or 5-locular; stigmas variously lobed, sessile or style very short. Fr. usually large, often 5-(10)-ribbed. Seed usually knobbly or warty, with membranous to ± fleshy aril.
Trees small, or shrubs. Leaves subpeltate; leaf blade palmatifid, rarely entire. Flowers unisexual or bisexual. Male flowers: corolla lobes oblong or linear, valvate or contorted; stamens 10, filaments short; sterile ovary subulate. Female flowers: corolla lobes linear-oblong; stamens absent; ovary estipitate, 1-loculed; ovules several to numerous, placentation parietal; stigmas 5, inflated or linear. Fruit large, succulent. Seeds numerous, ovoid or slightly compressed, arillate; embryo compressed; cotyledons long elliptic.
Trees relatively short-lived. Leaves crowded distally on branches; glabrous. Inflorescences: staminate 100+-flowered, elongate; pistillate 1-several-flowered. Flowers each borne in axil of bract. Berries slightly 5-angled. x = 9.
