Fls axillary, solitary or in dichasia, perfect, regular, 5-merous (rarely 4-merous), sts cleistogamous; bracts often forming an involucre. Calyx imbricate, persistent, us. cut to or almost to base. Corolla gamopetalous, funnelform to campanulate; lobes us. twisted in blud. Stamens basally epipetalous, alt. with lobes; anthers 2-celled, dorsifixed, us. introrse, longitudinally dehiscent; disk us. present. Ovary superior, us. 2-loculed; placentae axile; ovules 1-2 per locule, erect, sessile. Capsule loculicidally dehiscent, sts opening irregularly, or fr. fleshy and indehiscent. Endosperm hard. Herbs, lianes, shrubs or trees with us. milky sap and alt. simple exstipulate lvs. Widespread, with some 50 genera and 1200 spp.

Herbs or shrubs, generally with climbing or trailing stems containing a milky sap. Lvs alternate, exstipulate, usually simple. Fls actinomorphic, ☿, solitary or few to many in terminal or axillary dichasia. Bracts present, often forming an involucre. Sepals 5, usually free, imbricate, persistent. Corolla 5-lobed or 5-angled, usually plicate-contorted, usually funnelform, salverform or tubular, sometimes campanulate. Stamens 5, usually inserted towards base of corolla lobes and alternate with them. Ovary superior, 1-4-locular; ovules 1-2 in each loculus. Style terminal. Fr. usually capsular, very rarely indehiscent.