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Lianas, climbing by tendrils, sprawling, or occasionally shrubby, functionally dioecious (synoecious in V. vinifera). Branches: bark exfoliating (adherent in V. rotundifolia); pith brown, interrupted by nodal diaphragms (continuous through nodes in V. rotundifolia); tendrils 2–3-branched (unbranched in V. rotundifolia), rarely absent, without adhesive discs. Leaves simple. Inflorescences functionally unisexual (bisexual in V. vinifera), leaf-opposed, thyrses. Flowers functionally unisexual (bisexual in V. vinifera); calyx a minute rim, entire or 5-toothed; petals (3–)5(–9), connate distally, forming calyptra; nectary free, (3–)5(–9) glands alternating with stamens; stamens usually (3–)5(–9), sometimes 0 in pistillate flowers; style conic, short. Berries purple or black. Seeds 1–4 per fruit. x = 10.
Lianas, woody, usually polygamo-dioecious, rarely hermaphroditic. Bark usually shedding; tendrils leaf-opposed, usually bifurcate. Leaves simple, often lobed, sometimes palmately compound; stipules usually caducous. Inflorescence a thyrse. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx saucer-shaped; sepals minute. Petals united at apex and shed as a cap (calyptra) at anthesis. Stamens opposite to petals, undeveloped and abortive in female flowers. Disk conspicuous, 5-lobed or ring-shaped. Pistil 1; style slender; stigma slightly expanded. Berry globose, 2-4-seeded. Seeds obovoid or obovoid-elliptic, base rostrate, abaxially 1-furrowed with a rounded or suborbicular or elliptic chalazal knot, adaxially 2-furrowed; endosperm M-shaped in cross-section.
Fls 5-merous, actually or functionally unisexual, the plants sub-dioecious; cal obsolete or nearly so; pet separate at the base, but cohering at the summit and early deciduous; sterile fls with 5 erect stamens on long filaments and a vestigial pistil; fertile fls with a well developed pistil and 5 short, reflexed, functionless stamens; a 5-lobed nectary disk present at the base of the ovary; fr a juicy berry; seeds ovoid, 4, or fewer by abortion; simple-lvd woody vines with (rarely without) lf-opposed tendrils, the fls mostly cymose-paniculate, with the pedicels very often umbellately clustered. 60, N. Hemisphere.
Deciduous lianes; bark usually peeling in long strips; pith brown, interrupted at nodes with septa. Tendrils simple or forked, lacking disc-like tips. Lvs simple, usually palmately lobed; petiole often long. Fls in lf-opposed panicles, mostly unisexual, sometimes ☿. Calyx 5-lobed, minute. Petals 5, united distally, falling as a cap at anthesis. Disc prominent, consisting of 5 glandular scales. Ovary 2-celled; ovules 2 per cell; style short. Berry 2-4-seeded, usually black or dark purplish black, often with a glaucous bloom, occasionally green or yellow; pulp soft, watery, often sweet.
