Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Vines or lianas, climbing by axillary tendrils representing modified inflorescences, sometimes Annual or perennial herbs, shrubs or trees.

Stems: Axils usually with a primary and an accessory bud, the primary bud usually either abortive or developing into an inflorescence or a tendril, the vegetative branches then developing from the accessory bud.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple or rarely compound. Alternate or very rarely opposite. Margins entire, toothed, or palmately lobed. Petiolate, petioles usually with extrafloral nectaries. Stipules small or absent, often with a pair of extrafloral nectaries at base of blade.

Flowers: Flowers in various types of cymose or rarely racemose inflorescences, sometimes solitary. Flowers bisexual (perfect) or sometimes unisexual, actinomorphic. Hypanthium saucer–shaped to tubular, rarely absent; extrastaminal corona usually present, borne on the hypanthium to the inside of the petals, variously developed, often consisting of rows of filaments or scales; nectary disk (staminodial in origin) usually surrounding ovary. Calyx of (3–)5(–8) sepals; sepals ± connate at base, imbricate, persistent. Corolla of (0–)5(–8) petals, alternate with the sepals, ± connate at base, imbricate. Stamens (4)5(–10) or rarely numerous, usually alternate with the petals; filaments distinct or raised on an androgynophore, rarely connate into a tube; anthers dithecal, versatile, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, borne at the summit of the androgynophore, rarely subsessile, (2)3(–5)-carpellate, 1-celled, placentation parietal; ovules usually numerous, anatropous, funiculus usually long; styles as many as carpels, distinct or connate a base; stigmas capitate, clavate, or discoid.

Fruit: Fruit a globose to ovoid loculicidal capsules. Seeds (1–3)numerous; reticulate and pitted; aril membranous; unilateral; endosperm soft; fleshy; and oily.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

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