Woody climbers, deciduous. Monoecious or occasionally dioecious. Winter bud outer scales several to many, imbricate. Stipules small, caducous. Leaves long petiolate, pinnately 3-foliolate; lateral leaflet base slightly asymmetric. Inflorescences racemose, axillary, slender, elongated, many flowered; bracts subtending inflorescences persistent, scaly. Flowers small, unisexual, female flowers inserted basally on rachis and slightly larger than male ones, male flowers clustered apically. Outer and inner sepals subequal. Petals opposite sepals. Male flowers: stamens 6, free; filaments opposite petals; anthers slightly shorter than filaments; connective not apically protruded. Female flowers: carpels 3, sessile; ovules ca. 20, in 2 rows on wall adjacent to ventral suture. Pistillodes smaller than carpels. Fruit a berry, single, in pairs, or 3-fascicled in each node of infructescence, indehiscent. Seeds several to many, compressed; seed coat not shiny.
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