Lianescent or creeping, perennial herbs (also subrosulate, erect and terrestrial in West and Central Africa), with tough, slender stems rooting along internodes. Leaves numerous; petiole with well-developed persistent sheath and pulvinate apex; blade simple, lanceolate, ovate, elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate, with pellucid glandular lines or punctae; venation reticulate, primary lateral veins often forming inframarginal veins. Inflorescences appearing with leaves, 1–many on short sympodial axes, subtended by lanceolate bracts. Spathe erect, ± convolute, sometimes with slight central constriction, ± boat-shaped and gaping at anthesis to expose at least upper part of spadix, usually completely deciduous soon after. Spadix with basal pistillate part separated from apical staminate part by very short sterile zone bearing prismatic staminodes. Flowers unisexual, lacking perigon, usually densely congested. Stamens free, in distinct groups of 2–4, subsessile, truncate; anthers dehiscing by apical pores; connective thick, fleshy. Ovary 1(–3)-locular; ovules 1 per locule; placentation basal to axile; stigma sessile, subglobose to discoid or shallowly lobed. Berries ellipsoid to obovoid or subglobose, usually red, 1(–3)-seeded. Seeds large, ovoid, smooth; endosperm abundant; embryo small, lateral.
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