| 1 | Herbs or dwarf shrubs, rarely up to 1½ m high. Leaves 3(-4)-foliolate, or paripinnate, herbaceous. Fruit a dry capsule. |
| 1' | Shrubs, trees or lianas, much higher. Leaflets 1 or 3, or leaves imparipinnate, 2-many-jugate. Fruit fleshy, dehiscent into a 5-rayed star or indehiscent. |
| 2 | Leaflets 3-4. Capsule with the valves remaining attached to the central axis. |
| 2' | Leaflets 6 or more, pinnate. Capsule dehiscing into a 5-rayed star, without leaving a columella. |
| 3 | Leaflets 1 or 3, chartaceous or subcoriaceous. Lateral petiolules articulate, after dropping leaving a short stalk on the rachis. Ovules 1-2 per cell. |
| 3' | Leaves imparipinnate, 2-many-jugate, herbaceous to papyraceous. Lateral petiolules after dropping not leaving a stalk on the rachis. Ovules 3-7 per cell. |
| 4 | Lianas. Inflorescences racemose. Petals inside glabrous. Fruit dehiscent into a 5-rayed star. Seeds arillate. |
| 4' | Shrubs or trees. Inflorescences paniculate. Petals minutely papillose inside. Fruit indehiscent (but episeptal rimae sometimes open!). Seeds exarillate. |
