KEY TO THE GENERA

1Herbs, sometimes woody at base.
1'Shrubs, trees or lianas.
2Lateral sepals larger than the 3 outer ones and petaloid, about as long as the petals. Lower petal (keel) appendiculate apically (except P. tatarinowiï). Stamens 8. Fruit laterally dehiscent, the margins entire. Seed with a lobed aril at micropylar side
2'All sepals subequal, not petaloid, much shorter than the petals. Keel apically inappendiculate. Stamens 2-6. Fruit either indehiscent, or laterally dehiscent and then the margins dentate or spinose. Seed ex-arillate.
3Autotrophic plant with (small) green leaves. Fruit laterally dehiscent, dentate or spinose along the margins, far exceeding the sepals. Pericarp pergamentaceous. Style S-curved at base, long. Disk absent. Anthers 4 or 6, rarely 5. Rachis of inflorescence winged
3'Saprophytic, echlorophyllous plant with scale-like leaves. Fruit indehiscent, enclosed by the sepals. Pericarp fleshy. Style straight or very short. Disk present (but indistinct), adnate to the base of the ovary, semi-annular or as a lobe. Anthers 3 or 5, rarely 2 or 4. Rachis terete
4Sepals united at base, upper part of calyx caducous by a circumcision. Petals basally adnate to the calyx. Ovary 7- or 8-locular. Fruit (by abortion) often 4- or 5-locular. Seeds completely enclosed in an aril
4'Sepals free, caducous or 3 or 5 persistent. Petals free from the sepals. Ovary 1- or 2-locular. Seeds without an aril, or aril lobed.
5Petals 5. Lateral sepals not petaloid and less than twice as large as the other sepals. Ovary and fruit 1-locular with 4 or more ovules
5'Petals 3 or with an additional pair of much-reduced ones. Lateral sepals (alae) petaloid and at least twice as large as the other sepals. Ovary 1- or 2-locular, each locule containing a single ovule.
6Ovary and fruit 1-locular. Fruit a distinct samara, indehiscent. Twigs with a pair of glands at the nodes. Seeds without appendages, glabrous
6'Ovary and fruit 2-locular. Capsule dehiscent, without a large wing. Nodal glands absent, rarely (6. P. sumatrana) pseudostipules present. Seeds either with a lobed aril, or very long-hairy.