A genus of deciduous climbers mainly occurring in Asia, Africa and Australia and other tropical parts of the World. The species are mainly important for the medicinal properties credited with it. Some of the species are also cultivated in gardens as ornamentals and are propagated by cuttings.

A large growing, deciduous, climbing shrub with aerial roots, pale brown to yellowish or grey, papery, warty bark, ovate-cordate leaves, dioecious yellow or yellowish green, clustered flowers and orange coloured, ellipsoid drupes. The species is useful for its medicinal properties against several diseases.

Throughout India, tropics of Africa, Australia, Asia.