| General Information |
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| Distribution | A morphologically diverse genus of about 500 species from north temperate and subtropical-tropical montane regions, nearly worldwide.
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Habit
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Terrestrial or epiphytic shrubs, lianas, or small trees.
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Leaves
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Leaves usually evergreen, sometimes deciduous, alternate, coriaceous to subcoriaceous, sometimes thin, glabrous or pubescent with glandular hairs, petiolate or sometimes sessile.
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Flowers
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Inflorescences an axillary raceme, sometimes a solitary flower, sometimes bracteolate. Flowers on pedicel articulated or continuous with the calyx tube; calyx (4)5-lobed, tube cup-shaped to turbinate, lobes divided to various degrees, imbricate in bud; corolla tubular, urceolate, or subglobose, (4)5-lobed, lobes imbricate in bud; nectary disc annular; stamens (8–)10(–12), filaments inserted at the outer margin of the disc or near the base of corolla tube, anther ± awned, opening by a terminal pore or an introrse slit, anther sacs with tubules of various lengths; ovary inferior, (4)5-locular or rarely falsely 8–10-locular, ovules usually numerous, stigma obtuse.
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Fruit
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Fruit a berry, apex sometimes crowned with a persistent calyx.
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Seeds
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Seeds few to numerous, ellipsoid, irregularly compressed, testa smooth, endosperm present.
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Notes
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A morphologically diverse genus of about 500 species from north temperate and subtropical-tropical montane regions, nearly worldwide.
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Contributor
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Nancy Khan
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