Cnesmone Blume, corr. Blume

Twining herbs, with patent common and stinging hairs. Leaves distichous; stipules large, persistent. Racemes axillary or leaf-opposed, dense, with 1 or 2 female flowers at base and many male flowers upwards. Male flowers: calyx flattened in bud, afterwards 3-lobed with patent triangular acute lobes; petals and disc absent; stamens 3, alternating with calyx-lobes, nearly enclosed by calyx-tube; filaments widened towards apex; anther-thecae 2, introrse; connective broad, produced into an incurved subulate appendage running parallel to the anthers. Female flowers: calyx-lobes 3, imbricate in bud, persistent; ovary flattened, 3-loculed; locules 1- ovuled; styles 3, shortly connate, fleshy, papillose on the inside along margin, consequently seemingly pectinately lobed, persistent. Fruits capsular.

Tropical Asia, ca 11 species; one species in India.

List of Lower Taxa