Subshrubs, vines, or herbs perennial, with tuberous roots or creeping rhizomes. Stems erect or climbing. Leaves whorled, opposite, or alternate, petiolate or sessile; main veins 3 or more, transverse veinlets numerous. Inflorescences racemes or cymes, 1- to few flowered; peduncle axillary or attached to petiole or leaf midvein. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic. Perianth segments 4, in 2 whorls, petaloid, free. Stamens 4, subhypogynous; filaments free or basally connate in a ring, very short; anthers dorsifixed or basifixed, erect, linear, introrse; connective usually appendaged, appendage extending beyond apex of anther locule, perianthlike, linear-lanceolate, long. Ovary superior or subinferior, 1-loculed; ovules 2 or more, basally or apically attached to placenta. Stigma sessile, small. Capsule slightly compressed, 2-valved. Seed appendages on or near funicle, arillate; testa leathery; embryo hard, albuminous.

Ji Zhanhe. 1997. Stemonaceae. In: Wu Kuo-fang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 13(3): 254--260.

Four genera and ca. 32 species: Asia, tropical Australia, one species in E North America; two genera and eight species (five endemic) in China.

(Authors: Ji Zhanhe (吉占和 Tsi Zhan-huo); B. E. E. Duyfjes)