Asclepiadaceae: Gamopetalae

 Plants herbs, shrubs, mostly twiners and rarely trees; leaves opposite, simple, entire margin rarely alternate; inflorescence cymose or racemose; flowers hermaphrodite, pentamerous; calyx of 5 sepals, imbricate; petals 5, gamopetalous, corona arising as outgrowth of petals or stamens; stamens 5, fused with stigmatic disc forming gynostegium; pollens forming pollinia; carpels bicarpellary, syncarpous, ovaries and style free, only stigma fused to form disc, marginal placentation, fruit follicles