Climbers. Leaves simple; petiole with 2 lateral glands at the apex. Tendrils proximally 2-fid. Flowers white, appearing at night. Male flowers: axillary or in racemes; petals 5, entire; stamens 3. Female flowers: solitary; style 1; stigma 3-lobed. Fruit greenish, indehiscent with a hard shell. Seeds flattened. Worldwide: 6 species in tropical Africa and Madagascar; one widespread in the tropics. Zimbabwe: 1 cultivated taxon. |