Ventilago

Stout lianes up to 30 m long; branches somewhat zig-zag. Leaves alternate, petiolate, ovate-lanceolate or nearly ovate, denticulate, +/- glabrous, penninerved with tertiary nerves many, subparallel; stipules minute, caducous. Inflorescences usually very densely crowded axillary cymes appearing like nodal glomerules. Flowers bisexual. Sepals 5, deltoid. Petals 5, usually clawed, concave and cucullate. Disc +/- pentagonal or 5-lobed, thick, adnate to lower half of ovary, later somewhat accrescent. Stamens 5, adnate to base of petals; connective projecting beyond anthers. Ovary half-inferior, 2-locular, but one locule often sterile, with 1 basal ovule per locule; style short, 2-branched. Fruit dry, samara-like consisting of a basal 1-locular +/- spherical body and a strap-like wing up to +/- 60 mm long and 10 mm wide, ending in 2 minute persistent styles. Seed without endosperm; cotyledons fleshy.