Shrubs, erect or scandent, rarely treelets, indument of simple hairs. Petiole short; leaf blade venation arcuately looped near margin. Inflorescences solitary, axillary, superaxillary, or leaf-opposed, 1- or 2-flowered. Flowers bisexual. Sepals 3, valvate. Petals 6, in 2 whorls; each whorl valvate, subequal or outer whorl slightly larger than inner whorl; inner whorl basally constricted around reproductive organs to form enclosed floral chamber. Stamens many; connectives apically truncate or rounded; pollen inaperturate, in monads. Carpels many, free; ovary densely hairy; ovules 1-8 per carpel; stigmas oblong or ovoid, bent, with 1 U-shaped opening and a groove continued down adaxial side of carpel. Fruit apocarpous; monocarps many, shortly stipitate, fleshy, ellipsoid when 1-seeded or moniliform (rarely only slightly so) when more than 1-seeded. Seeds subglobose or ellipsoid.

About 25-30 species: tropical and subtropical Asia; five species (two endemic) in China.

(Authors: Li Bingtao (李秉滔 Li Ping-tao); Ng Kwok Wun (吴帼媛), Richard M. K. Saunders)