Climbing shrubs or woody lianas. Inflorescences 1- or few-flowered clusters; peduncle recurved, woody, persistent, forming a hook. Flowers bisexual, often fragrant. Torus flat or concave. Sepals 3, valvate, connate at base. Petals 6, in 2 whorls, pale yellowish, subequal, with each whorl valvate, base concave, apex connivent. Stamens many, outermost series sometimes forming staminodes; connectives apically dilated, apex truncate. Carpels 4 to many; ovules 2 per carpel, basal; stigmas ovoid, oblong, or clavate. Fruit apocarpous; monocarps fasciculate, sessile or shortly stipitate, ellipsoid-obovoid or globose, fleshy and berrylike. Seeds 1 or 2 per monocarp, without an aril.

Members of Artabotrys climb by means of the very distinctive, persistent, recurved, woody peduncles and pedicels, which hook onto the supporting vegetation.

About 100 species: Old World tropics and subtropics; eight species (four endemic, one introduced) in China.

(Authors: Li Bingtao (李秉滔 Li Ping-tao); Michael G. Gilbert)