Trees, shrubs, or scandent lianas. Leaves simple or palmately compound, petiolate, circinate and scandent in part, estipulate. Flowers bisexual, unisexual, or polygamous, actinomorphic, in axillary or terminal corymbs or cymose panicles, with bracts or not. Outer tepals (sepals) 3-5. Inner tepals (petals) similar to outer ones. Stamens 3-5; filament bases with appendages on external sides or not; anthers 2-celled; cells valvate. Ovary inferior, 1-loculed, 1-ovuled; ovule pendulous. Drupe ± costate, broadly 2-4-winged or enclosed in an inflated cupule and wings absent. Seed 1, exalbuminous, coat leathery.

Li Ya-rü. 1982. Hernandiaceae. In: Li Hsi-wen, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 31: 463-480.

About four genera and 60 species: tropical regions of E and W Africa, SE Asia, NE Australasia, and Central and South America; two genera and 16 species (seven endemic) in China.

(Authors: Li Xiwen (李锡文 Li Hsi-wen), Li Jie (李捷); Brigitta E. E. Duyfjes)