Woody climbers. Leaves 2- or 3-foliolate, terminal leaflet often replaced by trifid tendril with uncinate apices. Inflorescences axillary, congested, cymes or thyrses, occasionally flowers solitary. Flowers pedicellate; calyx membranous, broad-campanulate, irregularly lobed or spathe-like and split; corolla tubular or funnel-shaped, 2-lipped; corolla-lobes imbricate; stamens 4, in 2 pairs of unequal length, included in or exserted out of corolla-tube. Fruit a septicidal capsule, linear or rarely elliptic, flattened or inflated, with four lines of dehiscence; seeds with hyaline wings.
8 species native to tropical and subtropical North and South America; 1 species naturalised in Australia.
