Smooth climbing shrubs with short, circinate woody hooks. Leaves usually in terminal tufts, coriaceous, entire, reticulately feather-veined. Inflorescences dichotomously branched, terminal or lateral panicles. Flowers bisexual, regular, bracteate. Sepals 5, persistent. Petals 5, free. Stamens 5 - 10, filaments dilated; anthers 2-loculed, basifixed. Ovary half inferior, unilocular with a basal, erect ovule; styles 3, free; stigmas flattened. Fruit a nut.
Tropical W. Africa, S.E. Asia and S. China, ca 12 species; 4 in India.
KEY TO THE SPECIES
1a. Leaves 40 - 60 cm long
2
b. Leaves 15 - 20 cm long
3
2a. Panicles repeatedly dichotomous with ultimate branches recurved; bracts deltoid