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Vines and lianas [shrubs or trees], deciduous, woody at least at base, twining or clambering. Stems striate, without spines. Leaves alternate, simple; stipules absent; petioles present. Leaf blade palmately veined, often palmately lobed. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, fascicles, cymes, racemes, or panicles, flowers pedicillate. Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate on different plants, never showy; sepaloid bracteoles absent; perianth hypogynous, segments distinct or fused, not showy, greenish white to white or cream, imbricate or valvate. Staminate flowers: sepals usually 6, not spurred; petals usually 6, sometimes absent, distinct or connate, ± concave, frequently minute; nectaries absent; stamens either opposite petals and equal in number, or numerous; filaments distinct or united; anthers dehiscing longitudinally [or transversely]; pistillodes sometimes present. Pistillate flowers: sepals (4-)6, sometimes reduced to 1; petals often 6 or reduced to 1, ± concave, usually minute; nectaries absent; staminodes frequently present; pistils 1-6; ovules 2, aborting to 1, amphitropous; style often recurved; stigma entire or lobed. Fruits drupes, straight or horseshoe-shaped; exocarp membranous; mesocarp ± pulpy; endocarp (stone) bony, often warty, ribbed. Seeds never stalked; endosperm present or absent; embryo usually curved.
Shrubs or climbers, often woody, rarely trees (not in Australia), dioecious. Leaves alternate (spiral), sometimes peltate, often palmately veined at base; stipules absent. Inflorescences various, but basically cymose, sometimes condensed or reduced, usually with male and female inflorescences similar. Flowers small, usually 3-merous. Sepals rarely spirally arranged, usually in 1 or 2 whorls of 3, sometimes 1 whorl of 4, the innermost whorl sometimes valvate or connate; in female sometimes reduced to 1 or 2, otherwise similar to male flower. Petals usually 3 or 6 in 1 or 2 whorls, or absent, free or ± connate; in female sometimes reduced to 1 or 2, otherwise similar to male flower. Stamens often 3 or 6, sometimes to c. 40, often free and opposite a petal, or variously connate, sometimes forming a peltate synandrium. Staminodes sometimes present in female. Carpels free, (1–) 3–12, or to c. 30 (not in Australia); ovules 2, attached ventrally, only 1 developing. Fruit of 1–6 or more drupes, sometimes on a carpophore; style-scar terminal, ventral or near-basal; endocarp usually bony and usually variously ornamented on at least the dorsal surface, usually with a ventral intrusion (condyle) into the seed cavity around which the seed is curved. Seed often curved, sometimes straight; endosperm present or absent.
Twining or rarely erect shrubs or small trees, dioecious, with the wood in cross-section showing broad medullary rays. Leaves petiolate, sometimes peltate, without stipules, usually simple, entire or lobed. Inflorescences various, many-flowered, rarely the flowers solitary or geminate, axillary or borne on the leafless wood. Flowers small, unisexual, regular, rarely slightly irregular. Flowers ?: sepals 3–12 or more, rarely 1, free or slightly connate, imbricate or valvate; petals 1–6 or absent, free or connate, usually imbricate; stamens 3–6 or indefinite, rarely 2, free or variously united. Flowers ?: sepals and petals generally as in ? flowers, sometimes not so numerous; staminodes absent or present; carpels 3–6 or more, rarely 1, free; ovules 2, soon reduced to 1 by abortion, attached to the ventral suture. Fruiting carpels drupaceous, with the scar of the style subterminal or near the base by excentric growth; exocarp membranaceous or subcoriaceous, mesocarp more or less pulpy, endocarp often chartaceous or bony, rugose, tuberculate or ribbed. Seed often curved and horseshoe-shaped, with uniform or ruminate endosperm, or without endosperm
Fruiting carpels drupaceous, with the scar of the style subterminal or near the base by excentric growth, sessile or stipitate; exocarp membranous or subcoriaceous, mesocarp more or less pulpy, endocarp often chartaceous or bony, rugose, tuberculate or ribbed; seed often curved in the form of a horseshoe, with uniform or ruminate endosperm or without endosperm; embryo often curved, with a small radicle and flat or semi–terete cotyledons
Male flowers: sepals 3–12 or more, rarely 1, generally in series, or slightly connate, imbricate or rarely valvate, the outer smaller; petals 1–6, usually in series, minute or absent, free, or rarely connate, usually imbricate; stamens 3–6 or indefinite, rarely 2, when few opposite the sepals, free or variously united; anthers short
Fruiting carpels drupaceous, with the scar of the style subterminal or near the base by excentric growth; exocarp membranous or subcoriaceous, mesocarp more or less pulpy, endocarp often chartaceous or bony, rugose, tuberculate or ribbed and with the septum of the condyle,2 if any, perforated or not
Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male flowers; staminodes present or absent; carpels 3–6 or more, rarely 1, free, sessile or stipitate; styles terminal or subterminal, rarely recurved; stigma terminal, entire or lobed; ovules 2, soon reduced to 1 by abortion, attached to the ventral suture
Female flowers: sepals and petals generally as in male flowers, sometimes not so numerous; staminodes present or absent; carpels 3–6 or more, rarely 1, free; ovules 2, soon reduced to 1 by abortion, attached to the ventral suture
Male flowers: sepals 3–12 or more, rarely 1, free or slightly connate, imbricate or valvate; petals 1–6 or absent, free or connate, usually imbricate; stamens 3–6 or indefinite, rarely 2, free or variously united
Inflorescences cymose, paniculate, racemose, capitulate, fasciculate, or rarely the flowers solitary or geminate, axillary or borne on the leafless wood
Leaves petiolate, sometimes peltate, alternate, exstipulate, usually simple, rarely trifoliolate, or palmately lobed and nerved
Inflorescence various, many-flowered, the flowers rarely solitary or geminate, axillary or borne on the leafless wood
Leaves alternate, petiolate, exstipulate, sometimes peltate, without stipules, usually simple, entire or lobed
Twining, or rarely erect shrubs or small trees, with the wood in cross-section showing broad medullary rays
Flowers small, inconspicuously coloured, unisexual, dioecious, actinomorphic, rarely slightly zygomorphic
Seeds often curved and horseshoe-shaped, with uniform or ruminate endosperm, or without endosperm
Twining or rarely erect shrubs or small trees, dioecious
Flowers small, actinomorphic, rarely slightly irregular
Wood in cross-section showing broad medullary rays
