Synonym: Raphidophora; Afrorhaphidophora.
Region: Africa, Malesia, Australasia, Western Pacific.
Genus: ± 100 species.
Content: polysyphorin, rhaphidecurperoxin, a benzoperoxide, showed the strongest antimalarial activity; rhaphidecursinol A, rhaphidecursinol B, grandisin, and epigrandisinhave some antimalarial activity; neolignans, a major class of phytoestrogens.
BotanyClimbers; evergreen; robust; hemiepiphytes; rarely rheophytes.
Stem: bast fibers have typically abundant, long and slender trichosclereids, merging with the fibers of the sclerenchyma.
Leaves: entire, pinnatifid to pinnatisect; venation is parallel, pinnate to reticulate; blade of the leaf is torn, many hairs become apparent; leaf stalks bend abruptly at their top.
Flowers: bisexual, lacking a perigone, spathe is shed after flowering; ovules 8 or more, superposed on two (rarely 3) parietal placentas.
Seeds: many, ellipsoid, straight, with a brittle and smooth outer coat or testa.
Action: antimalarial against Plasmodium falciparum.