Stemona Lour.

Twining non-woody climbers, or trailing (N Australia) or erect herbs, mostly with perennial tubers. Leaves alternate, opposite, or verticillate (China, Japan); blades with curved basal nerves only; petioles not sheathing. Inflorescences sessile or peduncled, raceme-like, rarely one-flowered. Flowers: perianth small to rather large, tepals to 6 cm long, spreading at anthesis, the inner two petals slightly wider than the outer ones. Anthers with the thecae dorsally attached to the base of a long petaloid outgrowth of the connective, the thecae apically with or without a (conspicuous) common subulate appendix; filaments proportionally short, mostly connate, forming a ring or free. Ovary superior. Fruit pendulous, capsular, opening with two valves, few-to many-seeded. Seeds basally inserted, dangling on long funicles, with a coralloid or lobed, hollow aril.