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Lianes or scandent, rarely (not in Australia) erect, shrubs. Leaves opposite, decussate. Stipules present. Inflorescence axillary, cymose, dichasial or submonochasial, simple or compound, with or without accessory branchlets. Calyx 5(rarely 4)-lobed. Petals 5, rarely 4 or 6, imbricate or valvate. Disc single or double, annular, extrastaminal, fleshy. Stamens 3, rarely 2 or 4, inserted at base of free part of pistil; anthers transversely dehiscent, extrorse or apical; filaments reflexed at anthesis. Ovary partly or not immersed in disc, 3-locular with 2-20 ovules per locule; style distinct; stigmas obscure. Fruit a strongly 3-lobed capsule, the divergent dorsiventrally flattened lobes much longer than the axile placenta, each dehiscing along a median suture into 2 valves. Seeds mostly with a basal, membranous wing, with the raphe forming a submedian vein and thickened integuments forming a marginal vein. Cotyledons ±united.
Usually lianas, with long twining branches, young parts puberulent; branchlets mostly opposite. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, many-flowered, cymosely paniculate or corymbose, often with 1-2, few-flowered branchlets in each dichotomy; flowers solitary or in cymes at the end of the branchlets, or arranged laterally along those. Sepals 5; petals 5, spreading; disk fleshy, cushion-like to truncate-conical, puberulent without; stamens 3, suberect to reflexed, filaments often adnate to upper margin of disk, anthers transversely ellipsoid, dehiscing by transverse, confluent clefts; ovary trigonous, immersed in the disk, ovules 4-6 per locule, style subulate, stigmas inconspicuous. Fruits 1-3 per infructescence, consisting of 3 dry, divergent, flattened, leathery mericarps, attached to a swollen receptacle. Mericarps dehiscing along an inconspicuous median suture; seeds affixed by a conspicuous basal, membranous wing.
Vines, <clambering>. Branchlets terete to 4-angled. Leaves persistent, opposite; stipules present; petiole present; blade margins crenate-serrate; venation pinnate. Inflorescences axillary, cymes. Flowers bisexual, radially symmetric; perianth and androecium hypogynous; hypanthium absent; sepals 5, distinct; petals 5, pale yellow to white; nectary extrastaminal, annular, fleshy; stamens 3, adnate to nectary margin; staminodes 0; pistil 3-carpellate; ovary superior, <immersed in and adnate to nectary>, 3-locular, placentation axile; style 1; stigmas 3; ovules 6–8 per locule. Fruits capsules, 3-locular, deeply 3-parted longitudinally, segments obovate-elliptic or narrowly elliptic, apex not beaked. Seeds 5–6 per locule, ellipsoid, winged in proximal 1/2; aril absent.
Stamens (2)3(4), with filaments often ± broadened below, free or united at the base or sometimes united with the ovary or gynophore; anthers versatile, apical or extrorse, with the thecae ± confluent, dehiscing transversely; pollen simple or rarely in polyads (sect. Hippocratea), not in tetrads.
Ovary superior, 3-locular, with 2–20 axile ovules in 2 rows per loculus, sessile or on a gynophore, sometimes immersed in the disk; style simple or absent; stigmas 3, free or ± united, sometimes sessile or very small.
Seeds with long stalks, rarely sessile; stalks usually expanded into a wing with the raphe forming a submedian or rarely marginal vein and the thickened integuments forming a vein along the other margin.
Fruit of 3 capsular mericarps united at the base or rarely (not in African species) for most of their length; mericarps dorsiventrally flattened or rarely biconvex, dehiscing by the median suture.
Leaves opposite or subopposite, petiolate; stipules free or ± united interpetiolarly, usually deciduous, with opposite pairs sometimes connected by ridges.
Inflorescence pedunculate, cymose, dichasial or submonochasial, simple or compound, with or without accessory branches, axillary; bracts persistent.
Disk extrastaminal, single or double, varying in shape, free or variously united with other floral parts.
Petals (4)5(6), green to white or yellow, often with paler margin, imbricate or valvate in bud.
Lianes or ± scandent shrubs or small trees, without latex (except in sect. Hippocratea).
Sepals (4) 5, imbricate, free or ± united.
Germination epigeal or hypogeal.
Flowers bisexual.
