Unarmed shrubs, woody vines (elsewhere) or herbs; pubescence of many-celled, simple or 2- to many-branched hairs. Leaves solitary or paired, entire. Inflorescences 1-10-flowered fascicles in leaf axils. Flowers radially symmetrical, mostly 5-merous; calyx cupular, truncate or with 10 subapical teeth (in our species), the teeth linear or umbonate, equal or not; corolla white or purple-blue, rotate, shallowly or deeply lobed (in our species); stamens inserted at the top of the corolla tube, filaments short, equal (in our species), anthers elliptic, dehiscing by apical pores; ovary 2-locular; ovules numerous. Fruit a red or red-purple berry, globose; seeds numerous, small, compressed, ovate to triangular, finely reticulate; embryo coiled, subperipheral.
About l80 species, most in Central and South America, about 10 species in Asia. 2 species in Taiwan.
