Clethra sect. Clematoclethra Franchet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., sér. 2, 10: 53. 1888; Pentastigma Maximowicz ex Komarov.

Woody vines, deciduous. Branchlets glabrous, puberulent, tomentose, lanate, or setose. Bud scales laminated, blackish brown, leathery, hairy or not, always persistent at bases of young shoots. Leaves petiolate, leathery to papery, margin entire or finely bristle-toothed or callus-toothed. Flowers solitary or on cymose inflorescences, bisexual. Sepals 5, imbricate, connate at base, persistent. Petals 5, imbricate. Stamens 10; filaments short, stout, dilated toward base; anthers ovoid, versatile, 2-celled, dehiscing through 2 longitudinal slits, inverted due to inflexion of filaments after anthesis, their morphological bases apical when mature. Ovary globose, glabrous, 5-ribbed, 5-loculed; ovules 8-10 per locule; styles connate into a cylindrical to filiform, somewhat fleshy, sometimes 5-striate structure; stigma capitate, small, 5-lobuled. Fruit berrylike or a leathery capsule, 5-ribbed when dry, with 1 seed per carpel, apex with persistent style. Seeds obtriangular, smooth, with endosperm.

Clematoclethra giraldii Diels (Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 29: 472. 1900), described from "Huan tou shan," was identified by Tang and Xiang (Acta Phytotax. Sin. 27: 92. 1989) as Actinidia tetramera Maximowicz (see p. 339).

Clematoclethra racemosa H. Léveillé (Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 10: 440. 1912) is a synonym of Gouania javanica Miquel in the Rhamnaceae (see p. 163).

● One species: China.