The World Flora Online

Plantes'herbacées, monoïques, à tiges lianescentes grimpantes, assez grêles, glabres, pubescentes ou un peu hispides.'Feuilles'pétiolées, simples, à limbe entier ou légèrement 3-5-lobé; vrilles simples.'Fleurs'♂ solitaires ou fasciculées; réceptacle campanulé; sépales 5, subulés ou pinnatifides, formant parfois des organes foliacés très découpés; corolle campanulée, à lobes entiers, soudés jusqu'à mi-hauteur ou davantage; étamines 3, insérées sur le réceptacle; anthères toutes biloculaires, extrorses, ± cohérentes au centre du périanthe; loges en S renversé; connectif non prolongé au-dessus des loges; pistillode nul.'Fleurs'♀ solitaires ou par 2-3; périanthe semblable à celui des fleurs ♂; ovaire densement hispide, à nombreux ovules horizontaux; style droit, parfois entouré d'un anneau à la base; 3 stigmates lobés.'Baies'déhiscentes, hérissées de poils raides, aciculés, fragiles et facilement caducs.'Graines nombreuses, petites, aplaties, à bords arrondis.\n\t\t\t\tGenre représenté par 4 espèces en Afrique équatoriale et intertropicale et par 1 espèce à Madagascar. Pour la Flore : 3 espèces.

Seeds small, asymmetrically and broadly ovate in outline, compressed, lenticular; testa smooth Fruits fleshy, thin-walled, densely echinate with slender reddish-brown multicellular pointed setae, dehiscing into 10 longitudinal valves and extruding the seed-bearing placentas at the apex Fig. 7, p. 54. Small to rather large climbers Leaves simple Tendrils simple Male flowers clustered; receptacle-tube short; lobes pinnately divided; corolla distinctly gamopetalous, the lobes entire; stamens 3, all 2-thecous; thecae triplicate Female flowers clustered, often coaxillary with ♂; ovary densely setose; ovules many, horizontal; receptacle-lobes usually pinnately divided; stigma 3-lobed Probracts present Flowers monoecious, of medium size, orange-yellow Fruits fleshy, thin-walled, densely echinate with slender reddish-brown multicellular pointed setae, dehiscing into 10 longitudinal valves and extruding the seed-bearing placentas at the apex Fig. 7, p. 54. Small to rather large climbers Leaves simple Tendrils simple Male flowers clustered; receptacle-tube short; lobes pinnately divided; corolla distinctly gamopetalous, the lobes entire; stamens 3, all 2-thecous; thecae triplicate Female flowers clustered, often coaxillary with ♂; ovary densely setose; ovules many, horizontal; receptacle-lobes usually pinnately divided; stigma 3-lobed Probracts present Flowers monoecious, of medium size, orange-yellow

Stamens 3, all two-thecous; filaments inserted on upper part of receptacle-tube; thecae flexuous. Probracts present. Seeds asymmetrically broadly ovate in outline, compressed; testa smooth, bordered. Tendrils simple. Leaves simple, petiolate. Scandent herbs. Corolla gamopetalous, 5-lobed, lobes entire. Receptacle-tube short, obconic-campanulate; lobes lanceolate to broadly foliaceous, often pinnately divided into narrow or ± expanded often deflexed lobes. Male flowers in sessile axillary fascicles, bracteate. Flowers yellow, monoecious. Female flowers fewer than male and coaxillary with them; perianth similar to that of male flower, the receptacle-lobes usually smaller and less divided; ovary densely setose; ovules many, horizontal; stigma 3-lobed. Fruit subglobose to ellipsoid-cylindrical, fleshy, densely echinate with multicellular brownish setae, dehiscent by 10 apical valves and extruding seeds and placentae. Probracts present. Seeds asymmetrically broadly ovate in outline, compressed; testa smooth, bordered. Tendrils simple. Leaves simple, petiolate. Scandent herbs. Corolla gamopetalous, 5-lobed, lobes entire. Receptacle-tube short, obconic-campanulate; lobes lanceolate to broadly foliaceous, often pinnately divided into narrow or ± expanded often deflexed lobes. Male flowers in sessile axillary fascicles, bracteate. Flowers yellow, monoecious. Female flowers fewer than male and coaxillary with them; perianth similar to that of male flower, the receptacle-lobes usually smaller and less divided; ovary densely setose; ovules many, horizontal; stigma 3-lobed. Fruit subglobose to ellipsoid-cylindrical, fleshy, densely echinate with multicellular brownish setae, dehiscent by 10 apical valves and extruding seeds and placentae.