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Erect or climbing perennial herbs, massive woody lianes or shrubs, sometimes ± succulent; often glandular; rootstock tuberous; tendrils nearly always present, leaf-opposed. Leaves simple, entire or lobed or digitately 3–7-foliolate, petiolate or rarely sessile; leaflet margins entire to variously toothed; stipules present but often soon falling. Inflorescences nearly always leaf-opposed but sometimes terminal or axillary cymes, the ultimate components umbelliform; bracts and bracteoles present. Flowers 4-merous; buds ovoid or conical, not constricted in the middle. Calyx entire or 4-lobed. Petals cucullate at the apex, becoming deflexed, deciduous. Disk annular or sinuate-annular, entire or lobed, adnate to the ovary which is sometimes almost entirely included. Ovary with 2 locules each with 2 ovules; style cylindric or cylindric-conic; stigma subulate or subcapitate. Fruits usually 1-seeded. Seed oblong, ovoid or subspherical, often beaked, sometimes with a dorsal crest and two ventral pits.
Lianas, climbing by tendrils, synoecious or polygamomonoecious. Branches: bark adherent; pith white, continuous through nodes; tendrils unbranched or 2-branched [3–6-branched], without adhesive discs. Leaves simple or palmately compound [pinnately compound]. Inflorescences bisexual or functionally unisexual, leaf-opposed, corymblike cymes, sometimes compound. Flowers bisexual or unisexual; calyx cup-shaped, indistinctly 4-lobed; petals 4, distinct; nectary adnate to base of ovary, cup-shaped, entire or 4-lobed; stamens 4; style conic or cylindric, elongate. Berries blue-black to black. Seeds 1(–4) per fruit. x = 12.
Lianas, woody or subwoody, hermaphroditic or polygamo-monoecious. Tendrils unbranched or bifurcate, sometimes racemosely branched. Leaves simple or palmately compound. Inflorescence a compound dichasium or an umbel, leaf-opposed. Flowers 4-merous. Calyx cupular, glabrous. Petals falling off separately. Stamens 4. Disk well developed, margin undulate or slightly 4-lobed. Style conspicuous; stigma undivided or 2-divided. Berry obovoid or ellipsoid, 1-or 2-seeded. Seeds obovoid-elliptic or elliptic, base rostrate, apex rounded, chalazal knot at or near base; cross-section of endosperm M-shaped.
Leaves simple or more rarely lobed or digitately 3–7-foliolate, margins variously toothed, rarely entire; stipules present.
Inflorescences in leaf-opposed or terminal or rarely axillary cymes with the flowers in umbels on the ultimate branchlets.
Seed oblong, ovoid or subspherical, often abruptly narrowed at one end and sometimes with a dorsal crest.
Erect or climbing perennial herbs or shrubs; tendrils leaf-opposed or absent.
Petals cucullate at the apex, becoming deflexed after anthesis, caducous.
Style simple, subulate; stigma subulate or subcapitate.
Flower-bud conical, not constricted at the middle.
Disk annular, ± adnate to ovary, entire or lobed.
Anthers on short filaments.
Calyx entire or 4-lobed.
Fruit usually 1-seeded.
Flowers 4-merous.
