Scandent or sarmentose shrubs, usually stellate pubescent. Flowers bisexual, rarely
unisexual, terminal or leaf-opposed, in few-flowered cymes, sometimes solitary, yellow,
purple or reddish brown. Sepals 3, often connate below. Petals 6 (3 + 3), free, sometimes
connate at the base. Stamens numerous, outer sometimes sterile, ovoid or oblong,
truncate or subfoliaceous; connectives produced at top. Carpels many, linear-oblong;
styles short, thick; ovules many, 2-seriate, rarely few and 1-seriate. Torus depressed,
pubescent or tomentose. Ripe carpels many, dry or berries, often sweet and edible. Seeds
few to many, 1 -
2-seriate.
Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Indo-china, Thailand, Malaysia,
Sumatra, Philippines to New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and Africa; ca 150 species,
10 in India.
KEY TO THE SPECIES
1a. Flowers unisexual or polygamous
2
b. Flowers bisexual
3
2a. Flowers usually in cymes; sepals partly connate, not splitting irregularly, stellate tomentose outside
