Woody climbers or scandent shrubs, evergreen; armed with retrorse axillary spines. Leaves alternate, unifoliolate or simple; petioles pulvanoid, often articulated above with the leaflet blade. Flowers axillary, fascicled or solitary, medium to large, fragrant. Calyx cupular with 4 or 5 distinct sepals, persistent. Petals 4 or 5, imbricate, white. Stamens 8 or 10, alternately shorter and longer; filaments linear, subulate above; anthers linear-oblong, larger. Ovary on a distinct elongated gynophore, 3 - 5-locular; each locule with 1 or 2 ovules; style cylindric, longer than ovary; stigma capitate, globose or oblate. Berries subglobose, ellipsoid to pyriform or obovoid, entire or obscurely lobed or sometimes furrowed, apiculate or obtuse at apex; pericarp thick, glandular, variously pubescent, yellowish or orange-coloured to deep pinkish when ripe, 3 - 5-locular with 1 - 5 large, compressed seeds; seeds embedded in a mucilaginous substance; pulp-vesicles absent.
Tropical and subtropical parts of India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, S. China, Laos,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malay peninsula, Sumatra, Sumbawa, Borneo, Philippines and Australia; ca 12 species, 5 in India.
KEY TO THE SPECIES
1a. Sepals broad, obtuse
2
b. Sepals narrow, acute
4
2a. Pedicels shorter than or as long as flowers, softly pubescent; style pubescent below, glabrous above; berries subglobose or obovoid, 3 - 5-grooved, downy-pubescent
