Cephalandra Schrader.

Herbs, climbing. Roots tuberous. Branches glabrous or slightly scabrous. Tendrils simple, rarely 2-fid. Leaf blade angled or divided. Plants dioecious or rarely monoecious. Male flowers solitary or in a cyme or raceme; calyx tube short, campanulate or turbinate; segments 5; corolla campanulate; segments 5; stamens 3, inserted at base of calyx tube; filaments connate; anthers connivent, one 1-celled, two 2-celled; anther cells reflexed; connective not produced. Female flowers solitary; calyx and corolla as in male flowers; staminodes 3, oblong or subulate; ovary ovoid, oblong, or linear; placentas 3; ovules numerous, horizontal; style filiform; stigma 3-lobed. Fruit ovoid or oblong, baccate, indehiscent. Seeds numerous, compressed, marginate.

About 20 species: mainly distributed in tropical Africa; one species in China.

(Authors: Lu Anmin (路安民 Lu An-ming); Charles Jeffrey)