Woody vines [shrubs or small trees]. Leaves bearing glands on blade [and/or petiole, rarely eglandular]; stipules borne on [beside] base of petiole [absent], distinct. Inflorescences axillary or terminal or both, umbels or corymbs [pseudoracemes], these single or grouped in racemes or panicles. Pedicels raised on peduncles [sessile]. Flowers all chasmogamous, 6+ mm diam., showy with visible petals, stamens, and styles; calyx glands 0 or 8 (sepals all eglandular or 4 lateral 2-glandular); corollas bilaterally symmetric, petals pink or pink and white [white, light yellow, bronze, or dark red], glabrous [rarely hairy]; stamens 10, all fertile; anthers ± alike; pistil 3-carpellate, carpels connate proximally in ovary; styles 3, cylindric; stigmas on internal angle [very rarely terminal], large. Fruits schizocarps, breaking into 3 samaras; samaras bearing 1 elongate dorsal wing [rarely rudimentary or absent] thickened on abaxial edge, veins bending toward thinner adaxial edge, and usually single or double crown of short, irregular lateral winglets [crests] on each side [winglets and crests absent]; nut wall thick, tough. x = 10.

Distribution

Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Africa.

Discussion

Species 140+ (1 in the flora).

Heteropterys is almost exclusively a New World genus, with a single species in West Africa.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Heteropterys brachiata