Lianas or scandent shrubs. Leaves alternate, smooth, pubescent with simple hairs only, the petioles canaliculate, narrowly alate. Inflorescences axillary, ob-scurely glomerulate. Flowers perfect, actinomorphic; sepals 3-6, mostly 5, caducous; stamens indefinite, persistent, the filaments free, filiform, the anthers longitudinally dehiscent, 2-thecate, the thecae parallel or basally divergent, about half sunken into the dilated connective; carpels 1, rarely 2, globose, the ovules 2, erect, basal, the styles filiform, the stigmas simple to peltate. Fruit berry-like or follicular and dehiscent along the ventral suture across the apex, each carpel maturing 2, rarely 1 seeds; seeds smooth, arillate, the aril more or less entire, surrounding the seed at maturity, the embryo small.
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