Lianas, woody. Leaves petiolate, papery or leathery, margin entire. Inflorescences axillary, racemose, or subpaniculate toward apices of branches; bracts initially small, 1 bract becoming much enlarged in fruit, scarious, reticulate veined; bracteoles minute. Sepals 5, subequal. Corolla white or reddish, rotate to broadly campanulate, deeply 5-lobed. Stamens 5, adnate to base of corolla tube, exserted or included; filaments pubescent at base or glabrous; pollen not spiny. Ovary partly or fully 2-loculed, pubescent, 4-ovuled. Styles 2, free, short; stigmas peltate or reniform, ± lobed. Capsule small, glabrous, 4-valved. Seed 1, globose, smooth, glabrous.

About 11 species: seven in western Africa and four in Asia; one species in China.