Paradioecious or monoecious herbs with usually tuberous roots. Stem sheathing. Leaves digitately compound, sometimes pedate. Spathe finally deciduous, the spadix included or excluded. Male flowers with 2-5 stamens; anthers bilocular. Female flower with a unilocular ovary and 2 or more basal ovules; style short or absent. Berry few-seeded, red. Seeds globose to ovoid.