Dioecious climbing shrubs or lianes. Leaves entire or crenate. Inflorescences of racemes or umbels; peduncles present. Flowers unisexual, 4-5-merous. Sepals free or ± free, with resin-dots. Petals free inner surface papillose. Anthers borne on long filaments. Ovary superior. Fruit a spherical 1-seeded drupe. Seed solitary, depressed-spherical with ruminate endosperm. Worldwide: c. 100 species in warm and tropical regions of the Old World Malawi: 1 taxon. |