Woody climbers, large. Stem angular-sulcate. Leaves petiolate; leaf blade ovate, cordate, entire, pedately veined at base. Tendrils 2-fid. Plants dioecious. Male flowers in panicle; rachis elongate; pedicels short; bracts linear, apex acuminate; calyx segments 5, 3- or 4-veined, acute; corolla segments 5, shorter than calyx segments, 3-5-veined; stamens 5, 4 in pairs, 1 free; filaments very short; anthers reniform, 1-celled, pubescent; staminodes and rudimentary ovary absent. Fruit oblong, indehiscent, in clusters of 3-6 on a very long peduncle, with a thick woody rind. Seeds many, large, ovate, compressed, faintly margined.

One species: SW China, NE India.

(Authors: Lu Anmin (路安民 Lu An-ming); Charles Jeffrey)