Herbs, perennial, unarmed, creeping, rooting at nodes. Raphides present. Leaves opposite, without domatia; stipules generally persistent, interpetiolar, triangular, entire to deeply 3(-5)-lobed, often glandular at apex. Inflorescences terminal or pseudoaxillary near stem apices, 2-flowered, pedunculate, ebracteate. Flowers sessile, bisexual, distylous, fused in pairs by their ovaries. Calyx with ovary portion of individual flowers subglobose, with structure formed by fused ovaries oblate to dicoccous, with limb of individual flowers (3 or)4-lobed. Corolla white, funnelform, pilose in throat and onto lobes; lobes (3 or)4, valvate in bud. Stamens (3 or)4, inserted in corolla throat, exserted in short-styled flowers, included in long-styled flowers; filaments stout; anthers basifixed. Ovary of individual flowers 4-celled, ovules 1 in each cell, axile; stigmas 4, linear, exserted in long-styled flowers, included in short-styled flowers. Fruit multiple, orange to red, drupaceous, subglobose to oblate, fleshy, with calyx limbs 2, persistent; pyrenes 8, 1-celled, each with 1 seed, angled, 3-ridged; seeds medium-sized, ellipsoid; endosperm corneous; embryo small; radicle hypogynous.
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Fls heterostylic, mostly 4-merous, paired, their hypanthia united; cor funnelform, with elongate tube and short, spreading or recurved lobes villous on the inner face; ovary 4-locular, with a single erect ovule in each locule; stigmas 4, slender; fr a twin berry, with 8 seeds; creeping evergreen herbs with axillary or terminal white fls and scarlet (white) berries. 2, the other in ne. Asia.
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