Perennial stoloniferous herbs, usually dioecious (in Australia). Leaves ±simple, or often palmately lobed and serrate, petiolate, exstipulate or (not in Australia) ligulate, mostly arranged in a basal rosette. Flowers unisexual, rarely bisexual, in a simple or compound axillary or pseudo-terminal panicle, raceme or spike; males and females usually in separate inflorescences. Male flowers: sepals absent, 1 or 2; petals absent, 1 or 2, hooded; stamens 1 or 2; anthers elliptic or oblong. Female flowers: sepals usually 2, often minute; petals 2, ±hooded; styles 2, slender, completely stigmatic, shortly fimbriate; ovary inferior, ovoid to globular, 1-locular with 1 pendulous ovule. Fruit a globular to ovoid drupe or nut, sometimes 3-angled. Seed 1.
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