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Trees, shrubs or woody climbers, very rarely subherbaceous. Leaves opposite, verticillate or more rarely alternate, usually petiolate, almost always entire, often conspicuously lepidote. Petioles sometimes persisting after leaf-fall, forming thorns. Flowers usually perfect, actinomorphic or rarely slightly zygomorphic, in elongated or subcapitate, axillary or extra-axillary spikes or racemes or in terminal or terminal and axillary, often leafy panicles. Receptacle usually clearly divided into a lower part (lower receptacle) surrounding and adnate to the ovary and an upper part (upper receptacle) varying from patelliform to elongate-infundibuli-form terminating in the calyx-lobes. Upper receptacle often further differentiated into a lower part containing the disk and a usually more expanded upper part. Calyx-lobes usually 4 or 5 (rarely more) deltoid to filiform or sometimes scarcely developed. Petals usually 4 or 5 (very rarely absent but never in Panama species except perhaps by abortion) small and inconspicuous or showy and exceeding the calyx-lobes, white, yellow, orange, red or purple, glabrous or hairy, occasionally scaly. Stamens usually twice as many as the petals, inserted inside the upper receptacle, often biseriate, usually exserted; anthers dorsifixed, versatile. Disk intrastaminal, glabrous or hairy, sometimes very small or absent. Ovary com-pletely inferior, probably of 1 carpel, unilocular with usually 2 (occasionally up to 6) pendulous ovules of which only 1 develops. Style simple, free, usually ex-serted, rarely very short. Fruit (pseudocarp) 4-to 5-winged,-ridged or-angled, sessile or stipitate, usually indehiscent, 1-seeded; pericarp usually thin and papery, sometimes leathery, more rarely fleshy.
Trees, shrubs, shrublets or woody climbers, very rarely subherbaceous; scales or microscopic (and sometimes macroscopic) stalked glands present. Leaves opposite, verticillate or rarely alternate, usually petiolate, almost always entire; petiole sometimes persisting (especially in climbers), forming a ± hooked spine. Flowers hermaphrodite (in Flora area), regular or slightly zygomorphic (not in Flora area), 4–5-merous, in elongated or subcapitate axillary or extra-axillary spikes or racemes or in terminal or terminal and axillary, often leafy, panicles. Receptacle usually clearly divided into a lower part (lower receptacle) surrounding and adnate to the ovary, and an upper part (upper receptacle) varying from patelliform to infundibuliform and itself sometimes visibly differentiated into a lower part containing the disk (when present) and an often more expanded upper part. Sepals 4 or 5 (rarely more), deltate to ± subulate or filiform, sometimes scarcely developed. Petals usually 4 or 5 in Flora area (rarely absent in aberrant specimens), small and inconspicuous or showy and exceeding the sepals. Stamens twice as many as the petals, inserted in 1 or 2 series inside the upper receptacle and usually exserted. Disk glabrous or hairy, with or without a free margin, sometimes inconspicuous or absent. Style free (in E. African species); stigma sometimes ± expanded; ovary completely inferior. Fruit 4–5-winged,-ridged or-angled, sessile or stipitate, indehiscent or rarely tardily dehiscent; pericarp usuallythin and papery, sometimes leathery, more rarely fleshy. Cotyledons various.
Lianas woody, or shrubs when lacking climbing support, rarely non-climbing shrubs, trees, or subherbaceous. Leaves opposite, whorled, or rarely alternate; petiole sometimes persistent and thornlike; leaf blade variable in shape, generally elliptic or oblong-elliptic to broadly ovate, hairy or glabrous, often conspicuously scaly, often with domatia. Inflorescences terminal, axillary, or extra-axillary, simple or branched spikes, racemes, or panicles. Calyx tube usually shorter than 2 cm, proximally ellipsoid or fusiform, slightly contracted above ovary, distally narrowly funnelform to saucer-shaped; lobes 4 or 5, rarely more, deltoid to subulate, sometimes almost absent. Petals 4 or 5, white, yellow, orange, red, or purple, small and inconspicuous or showy and exceeding calyx lobes. Stamens usually 8 or 10, usually exserted from calyx tube. Style not adnate to inside of calyx tube (in Chinese species). Fruit often shortly stipitate, dry, rarely fleshy, longitudinally 4-or 5-winged,-ridged, or-angled, broadly winged in Chinese species with wings equal, papery, transversely striate; endocarp not sclerenchymatous.
Woody lianas to at least 35 m, shrubs, or sometimes small trees to 7 m; ‘combretaceous hairs’ plus peltate scales or stalked glands present. Leaves opposite or more or less so, sometimes in whorls of three, not clustered at branchlet tips, sometimes with weak pocket-shaped domatia or axillary hair-tufts; without petiolar glands. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, lax to congested, simple to branched spikes, leafless or leafy, spikes often forming compound panicles; bracts usually very small and caducous, sometimes foliaceous. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic or sometimes weakly zygomorphic, sessile but sometimes lower hypanthium extended into a pseudostipe, 4-or 5-merous; lower hypanthium extended into a short 'neck' or not so, upper hypanthium cupuliform, campanulate or tubiform, deciduous before fruiting; calyx lobes 4 or 5; petals 4 or 5; stamens 8 or 10, usually well exserted, anthers versatile; disk glabrous to densely pubescent; style free, usually exserted, glabrous, or sometimes pubescent proximally. Fruits 4-5-winged or-ridged, actinomorphic, dry or spongy.
Tree, shrubs or (in Australia) woody climbers. Leaves opposite, verticillate or rarely alternate, almost always entire, often with domatia. Flowers 4-or 5-merous, usually in axillary or extra-axillary spikes or racemes, usually bisexual. Calyx clearly divided into 2 parts (the receptacle and upper calyx tube), lacking adnate bracteoles. Petals 4 or 5, rarely (not in Australia) absent, deciduous. Stamens usually twice as many as calyx lobes, inserted in 2 series in calyx tube, usually exserted. Disc with ± free margin, sometimes absent. Style simple, free, usually exserted. Ovules usually 2, rarely to 6. Fruit a pseudocarp, 4-or 5-winged, ridged or angled. See also Du Puy & Telford (1993: 245).
Receptacle usually clearly divided into a lower part (lower receptacle) surrounding and adnate to the ovary and an upper part (upper receptacle) varying from patelliform to infundibuliform and itself sometimes visibly differentiated into a lower part containing the disk (when present) and an often more expanded upper part.
Flowers always hermaphrodite (in our area), actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic (not in our area), 4–5-merous, in elongated or subcapitate axillary or extra-axillary spikes or racemes or in terminal or terminal and axillary often leafy panicles.
Leaves opposite, verticillate or rarely alternate, usually petiolate (rarely subsessile), almost always entire; petiole sometimes persisting (especially in climbers) forming a ± hooked spine.
Fruit 4–5-winged,-ridged or-angled, sessile or stipitate, indehiscent or rarely tardily dehiscent; pericarp usually thin and papery, sometimes leathery, more rarely fleshy.
Petals usually 4–5 (rarely absent, in aberrant specimens and up to 7 in occasional flowers), small and inconspicuous to showy and exceeding the sepals, of various colours.
Stamens twice as many as the petals inserted in 1 or more usually 2 series inside the upper receptacle and usually exserted.
Sepals (calyx-lobes) 4–5 (rarely more), deltate to ± subulate or filiform, sometimes scarcely developed.
Disk glabrous or hairy, with or without a free margin, sometimes inconspicuous or absent.
Plants lepidote or with microscopic (and sometimes macroscopic) stalked glands.
Trees, shrubs, shrublets or woody climbers, very rarely subherbaceous.
Style free (in our species); stigma sometimes ± expanded.
Ovary completely inferior.
Cotyledons various.
