Parasitic plants, endophytic body growing like a thallus inside the woody stems and roots of species of Tetrastigma (Vitaceae). Flower buds sessile, first protruding as a corky swelling with hexagonal patches, the corky base remaining as a cup-shaped body (cupule) below the scales on the flowering sessile shoot. Scales (bracts) in a series of 3 whorls of 5 scales, imbricate, at first appearance white, but turning black or dark brown after exposure, with prominent veins, inner gradually larger. Flowers (see Fig. 6) unisexual, female ones with rudiments of anthers. Perigone lobes 5, imbricate, reddish, often with white warts, inserted around an annular, horizontal, pentagonal, central diaphragm which has a more or less round opening (orifice) in the centre (see Fig. 7, 8). Base of perigone tube and adjacent zone of diaphragm (or the entire diaphragm) covered with variably shaped ramenta inside (see Fig. 9). Central column at apex widened into a disk, often with processes, below this narrowed into the neck and at the base widened and surrounded by the 'annulus interior' above a sulcus, the base of the flower tube often thickened into an 'annulus exterior' which can be almost or totally obsolete. Anthers with one apical pore, sessile, situated around the overhanging rim of the column. Ovary 1-locular with many placentas. Fruit berry-like. Seeds thick-walled, c. 1 mm long and with a shorter appendage. Fig. 6. Fig. 7. Fig. 8. Fig. 9. Plate 1. Plate 2. Plate 3. Plate 4.
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