| General Information |
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| Distribution | A large genus of 1,400-1,600 species of tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres.
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Habit
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Perrenial herbs, terrestrial or sometimes epiphytic, often sappy and succulent, glabrous or pubescent, rhizomatous or tuberous; plants monoecious with unisexual male and female flowers occurring separately on the same plant.
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Leaves
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Leaves often large and variously marked or variegated, blade usually asymmetric, petiolate.
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Flowers
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Perianth white, pink, red, orange, or yellow; male flowers with 2-4(-8) perianth parts in 2 series; female flowers with 2-5 perianth parts in a single series; stamens numerous; ovary inferior, (2)3(-5)-celled.
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Fruit
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Fruit a winged capsule containing numerous minute seeds; a few species have baccate fruits.
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Seeds
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Seeds minute, very numerous, with scanty or no endosperm, testa reticulate, embryo straight.
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Contributor
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David Lorence & W. L. Wagner
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