Vines. Petiole long; leaf blade often broad and large, not peltate, subleathery or membranous, adaxially finely and closely striate, palmately 3-5-veined. Inflorescences on old leafless stems, solitary or fasciculate, racemose. Male flowers: sepals 9-12, in 3 or 4 whorls, free, imbricate, outermost 3 minute and bracteolelike, inner 6 large, thinly leathery, margins usually membranous, narrowly oblong; petals 6, slightly shorter than sepals, submembranous, oblong or rotund, margins involute; stamens 6, opposite and subequal to petals, free, filaments thickened, swollen at apex, anthers introrse, dehiscing longitudinally to transversely; pistillodes usually 3. Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male; staminodes 6, lanceolate, apex rostrate; carpels 3, cylindrical-obovate, stigma peltate, many lobed. Drupes 3 or less, subovoid, flattened on both surfaces, abaxially prominent, adaxially smooth, style scar terminal; endocarp woody, straight, ellipsoid to subovoid, tuberculate-rugose; condyle inconspicuous. Seed obovoid; endosperm rich; cotyledons broad, flat, unequal, much longer than radicle.

Molecular studies (Rosa et al., Amer. J. Bot. 94: 1425-1438. 2007) suggest that Tinomiscium is the sister group to the rest of the Menispermaceae.

About seven species: SE Asia; one species in China.