Scandent epiphytes, the caudices often greatly elongate, the internodes mostly long, the nodes emitting roots; earliest leaves ovate, the next sagittate, the adult ones trisect or pedatisect; petioles long, terete above, rather long-vaginate; blades varying from trisect to pedately 5-to 9-cleft, the primary lateral nerves of the segments spreading, forming 1-3 collective nerves; peduncles usually clustered, equaling or shorter than the spathe, pendent or recurved in fruit; spathes pale or yellowish green, rarely purplish, in fruit often turning bright red, the tube ovoid, slightly exceeding the pistillate inflorescence, the limb oblong-ovate, erect-spread-ing and open at anthesis, usually deciduous in fruit; spadix much shorter than the spathe, the pistillate inflorescence oblong-conoid, the staminate portion of the spadix longer than the pistillate, clavate, sterile at the base; flowers unisexual, naked; staminate flowers with 3-4 stamens, these connate to form a truncate-obpyramidal, 3-or 4-sided synandrium; connective of the anthers thick, the cells rounded or obtuse at the base, dehiscent below the apex of the connective by a short slit; pistillate flowers connate, the ovary obovoid or oblong-obovoid, nor-mally 2-celled, by abortion sometimes 1-celled; ovules 1 in each cell, erect, anatropous; stigma convex or hemispheric, sometimes 2-or 3-emarginate; fruits baccate, connate into an ovoid syncarp; seed obovoid, borne on a very short funicle, the testa smooth, thin, black; endosperm none.
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