Glabrous lianas. Leaves estipulate, unifoliolate; petioles articulate with a constriction (in herb.). Inflorescences racemose, ramiflorous and axillary, solitary to fascicled. Flowers (in Mal.) androdioecious. Sepals connate in lower half, margins ciliate, glabrous inside. Petals apotact or paratact, rarely quincuncial, (in Mal.) free and glabrous inside, minutely clawed, red to white. Filaments (in Mal.) antheriferous, between the filaments with scales on the annulus, these sometimes reduced to dark lines. Ovary glabrous, reduced and sterile in ♂ plants. Ovules in bisexual 1-2 per cell, in ♂ 0-1. Capsule fleshy, yellowish green (red when dry), loculicid to the base, 1-6-seeded, valves patent; (in Mal.) episeptal rimae present, open to base. Seeds up to 2 per cell; testa smooth, hard, yellowish red, terminally thickened around the micropyle, splitting lengthwise under pressure; aril present, enveloping the seed, attached to the entire length of the adaxial raphe, fleshy, bright to whitish yellow, margin irregular crenate, with oily drops; embryo with the cotyledon 1½-2 times as long as the straight, oblique radicle.
Lianas in forests, swamps, near rivers, obviously usually on poor soil, at low altitude.
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