Climbing or trailing herbs with tendrils; leaves alternate, cordate, often lobed or angled; flowers generally 5-merous, unisexual; corolla cupular, saucershaped, or tubular; anthers sometimes connate; ovary inferior, usually 3-celled or 1-celled with 3 parietal. A family of perhaps 90 genera, and 660 species; tropics and subtropics. Besides the 9 in Guam mentioned here, another occurs in Palau, Trichosanthes, with fimbriate petals.