Plants herbs, shrubs, or small trees, often twining lianas, sometimes erect or trailing, sometimes succulent or tuberous; tendrils often present, leaf-oppsed or arrising from the peduncls. Leaves alternate, stipulate, digitately compound, or pedately lobed or divided, entire or toothed. Inflorescences usually branched cymes but sometimes of solitay, axillary flowers. Flowers radially symmetric, usually bisexual; Calyces 4-6-lobed or entire; petals 4-6, free or cohering at the tops, valvate; stamens 4-6, opposite the petals, filaments free, anthers 2-celled, medifixed, with longitudinal dehiscence; disk present, interior to the stamens; ovary superior, 2-celled, each cell with 2 erect ovules; style simple; stigma subulate to capitate. Fruits 1-4 seeded berrires; seeds ovoid, often pointed at one end.
The family Vitaceae includes 14 genera and about 1000 species which grow in tropical to warm temperate regions. Yhe most economicall important species is the grape vine, Vitis vinifera.
