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For generic synonyms see Harms, and Killip, loc. cit.. Mostly perennial climbing herbs to large lianas, rarely (not in Africa) shrubs or trees, glabrous or hairy, provided with tendrils. Leaves mostly alternate, unlobed to deeply lobed, palminerved or pinninerved, petiolate; margin mostly dentate, often with small gland-teeth; petiole with or without glands; blade-glands present or not. Stipules minute to large. Inflorescences sessile or peduncled, 1–many-flowered, with or without a simple tendril, or rarely flowers collected into pseudoracemes; bracts and bracteoles small to large, forming a conspicuous involucre or not. Flowers hermaphrodite, 5-merous; hypanthium saucer-shaped to cylindrical. Sepals and petals free, often brightly coloured; petals mostly resembling sepals, membranous, sometimes absent. Corona extrastaminal, variously shaped, simple or mostly composed of a usually complicated outer corona consisting of threads, and flat or plicate inner coronas, sometimes with the addition of a nectary ring or annulus. Androgynophore mostly distinct, 3 mm. or more.. Stamens 5(–8), free (or in some Asian species partly connate), in older flowers mostly reflexed; anthers dorsifixed, versatile, elliptic to linear. Gynophore absent or sometimes up to 7 mm.; ovary globose to fusiform; styles 3(–4), free or connate at base; stigmas capitate. Fruit usually indehiscent, ± baccate, often with coriaceous exocarp, globose, ellipsoid or rarely fusiform, containing many seeds.
Herbaceous or woody perennial vines, rarely shrubs or trees. Leaves simple or rarely compound, alternate (subopposite in one species), entire or dissected, petiolate, usually with extra-floral nectaries on petiole and/or blade; stipules linear to leaflike, often glandular. Inflorescence axillary, cymose; peduncle often highly reduced or absent, central axis developed into a tendril, secondary axes often highly reduced to 1 or 2 flowers; bracts minute to foliaceous, sometimes glandular. Flowers bisexual (rarely plants dioecious). Hypanthium broad to campanulate. Sepals 5, often petaloid, sometimes with a subapical projection. Petals 5 (rarely absent). Corona present at base of perianth in one to several series of showy filaments; innermost series (operculum) membranous, partially to entirely fused, margin entire or fimbriate, often incurved over nectar chamber; extra-staminal nectariferous disk (limen) present around base of androgynophore, fused to base of hypanthium. Stamens (4 or)5(-8); filaments free (rarely connate into a tube around ovary); anthers linear or oblong, dorsifixed, versatile. Ovary on androgynophore, stipitate or sessile, 3(-5)-carpellate; styles 3(-5), free; stigmas capitate. Fruit a berry (rarely a dehiscent capsule). Seeds arillate, compressed, testa pitted; endosperm oily, abundant; embryo straight; cotyledons elliptic or oblong-elliptic; germination epigeal (rarely hypogeal).
produced from the inflorescence. Inflorescence axillary, usually 1-flowered, less frequently cymose and few-flowered, the peduncle jointed and there producing usually 3 inconspicuous and setaceous to large and petaloid involucrate bracts. Flowers hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, frequently large and showy, perigynous. Hypanthium shallow to relatively deep, the sepals 5, valvate, usually with a cornic-ulate process toward the tip in the large-flowered species; petals 5, rarely absent, inserted at the margin of the hypanthium, green to highly colored; corona of numerous petaloid filaments in 1 to several centripetally decreasing series inserted on the margin of the hypanthium at the base of the corolla. Pistil and stamens borne upon a more or less elongate common androgynophore; stamens 5, borne immediately beneath the pistil, the anthers 2-celled, versatile; pistil 3-or very rarely 4-carpellate, the ovary 1-loculate with 3 or very rarely 4 parietal placentas bearing numerous ovules, the 3-4 stigmas usually quite sessile, rather elongate, radial. Fruit an inflated berry, frequently large, globose to fusiform, containing numerous small hard lenticular seeds immersed in abundant mucilaginous pulp derived from the testa.
Climbers (in Mal.). Leaves (mostly) spirally arranged, very rarely (sub)opposite, simple or (extra-Mal.) compound, entire or lobed, pinni-or palminerved; petiole with or without glands. Stipules (in Mal.) minute. Inflorescences sessile or pedun-cled, 1-many-flowered, with or without a simple tendril; flowers rarely collected into pseudoracemes. Bracts (in Mal.) small. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous; hypanthium saucer-shaped to cylindrical. Sepals and petals mostly free, often highly coloured; petals often resembling the sepals, membranous, (extra-Mal.) sometimes absent. Corona composed of a mostly complicated outer corona, and mostly a flat or plicate inner corona; nectary ring annular, within the operculum, or absent; disk at the base of, or on the androgynophore, or absent (in Australian spp.). Sexual organs on a distinct androgynophore. Stamens 5(-8), free filaments at first erect, later on mostly reflexed; anthers dorsifixed, versatile, elliptic to linear. Ovary globose to fusiform, sessile or stalked; styles 3(-4), (in Mal.) free, long; stigmas capitate. Fruit mostly indehiscent, ± baccate, often with coriaceous exocarp, globose to (rarely) fusiform.
Vines, glabrous or densely hairy, sometimes glandular. Stems terete to angled; tendrils simple [branched]. Leaves petiolate; stipules leaflike to minutely setaceous, margins entire, serrate, or deeply cleft, sometimes glandular; blade (2)3(–9)-lobed or unlobed, base cuneate to cordate or rarely peltate, surfaces sometimes glandular, glands or nectaries associated with marginal teeth or abaxially near margins or between primary veins. Inflorescences solitary or paired flowers, simple or many-branched [pedunculate cyme with central pedicel often as aborted tendril], secondary inflorescences sometimes present as condensed, axillary (terminal) shoots; bracts 0 or (1–)3, scattered to whorled, margins sometimes glandular. Flowers bisexual or sometimes functionally unisexual [staminate]; hypanthium flattened to cuplike or tubular; sepals sometimes with subapical setose to leaflike projection; stamens 5 [8], usually alternate with petals, borne on short to elongate androgynophore; anthers dorsifixed, versatile; ovary 3[–5]-carpellate, borne at tip of androgynophore. Fruits baccate [capsular or capsulelike berries]. x = 6.
Herbaceous or ± woody climbers with branch-opposed tendrils. Petioles usually with several prominent glands. Fls usually ☿; bracts often large and in whorls of 3, rarely 0. Receptacle forming a saucer-shaped to cylindric hypanthium, occasionally hypanthium 0. Sepals (1)-5, free or united towards base, often petaloid. Petals usually (4)-5, rarely 0; corona variously developed. Stamens 5, united into a tube around the gynophore; anthers versatile. Ovary usually with 3 parietal placentas; styles usually 3. Fr. a many-seeded berry.
Herbaceous or woody lianas, usually climbing by tendrils, rarely erect herbs, shrubs, or small trees. Leaves alternate, petiolate, basifixed to peltate, simple or very rarely compound, entire to deeply lobed, occasionally with large irregular glandular areas (ocellate) upon the blade; petiole frequently with few to several more or less conspicuous glands. Tendrils volubile, solitary, simple, axillary or
Ovary oblong or subglobose, borne on a gynophore which is usually elongate, rarely absent; styles 3 or 4, subterminal, cylindrical or clavate; stigmas capitate; ovules numerous, rarely few, attached to 3 rarely 4 placentas.
Fls 5-merous, perfect; stamens 5, monadelphous around the gynophore; corona a double or triple fringe; styles 3, elongate, with capitate or clavate stigma; fr a berry; herbaceous or woody vines. 400, mostly warm reg.
Flowers rather large and handsome, axillary, solitary or in racemes, hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual; peduncles articulate, often 3-bracteate.
Leaves alternate, rarely opposite, entire, lobed or partite; petiole often with glands; stipules 2 or absent, sometimes foliaceous.
Seeds usually numerous, compressed, arillate, with the testa usually scrobiculate and the endosperm fleshy; cotyledons foliaceous.
Stamens 4–5, with the filaments adnate to the gynophore, free at the apex; anthers linear, ovate or oblong, 2-celled, dorsifixed.
Operculum (middle or membranous corona) membranous, flat or plicate, entire, lacerate or filamentose, rarely wanting.
Corona (faucial and supramedian corona) of 1 to several series of distinct or ± united filaments, rarely tubular.
Sepals 4–5, linear-oblong or linear, often coloured inside, sometimes with horns on the back below the apex.
Tendrils usually solitary in the axils of the leaves, sometimes ending the peduncles, rarely absent.
Nectar-ring (inframedian corona) an annular ridge within or below the operculum, sometimes wanting.
Limen (basal corona) close to the base of the gynophore, annular or cupuliform, sometimes wanting.
Petals 4–5 or absent, membranous, ± equal to the sepals but more vividly coloured.
Scandent herbs or shrubs usually climbing by tendrils, rarely erect.
Fruit dry or pulpy, sometimes an irregularly 3-valved capsule.
Calyx-tube patelliform, campanulate or urceolate to tubular.
