Herbs, medium sized to robust, latex-bearing, usually evergreen, sometimes seasonally dormant. Stem epigeal, erect or creeping, stout, covered with fibrous remains of leaves and cataphylls. Leaves solitary or few to several together; petiole sheath very short; leaf blade peltate, ovate or ovate-oblong, base often emarginate, apex acuminate; basal veins short, well developed, primary lateral veins pinnate, forming a submarginal collective vein very near margin, marginal vein also present, secondary and tertiary laterals arising from primaries at a wide angle, then arching toward leaf margin and forming a ± conspicuous interprimary collective vein, higher order venation reticulate. Inflorescence solitary; peduncle shorter than petioles. Spathe barely convolute at base, ± fully expanded at anthesis, yellow, yellow and red or ± dark purple within, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, not constricted, apex acuminate; basal part persistent to fruiting stage; apical part becoming reflexed and revolute, marcescent. Spadix much shorter than spathe, densely flowered; female zone cylindric, often longer than male zone, mostly adnate to spathe; male zone contiguous with female zone, cylindric, ellipsoid, or subglobose, fertile to apex, obtuse. Flowers unisexual, naked. Gynoecium surrounded by whorl of 2-5 short, claviform staminodes, more rarely staminodes absent; ovary subglobose to ovoid, 1-loculed; ovules numerous, hemiorthotropous; funicle distinct; placentae 2-5, parietal, in basal part only or extending from base to apex, defined stylar region ± lacking; stigma strongly 2-5-lobed. Male flowers 3-6-androus; stamens connate into a strongly lobed, apically truncate synandrium; common connective relatively small, impressed at apex; thecae contiguous, oblong, dehiscing by apical pore. Fruit ovoid, many seeded. Seeds ovoid to ellipsoid; testa costate; embryo axile, conic, short; endosperm copious.

About nine species: tropical and subtropical Asia; four species in China.

(Authors: Li Heng (李恒 Li Hen); Peter C. Boyce)