Genus of about 30 species of scandent or trailing, evergreen, usually epiphytic sunshrubs, often becoming woody at the bases, from tropical rainforest in South America. Hypocyrta is an old name for the genus Nematanthus. Nematanthus have a characteristic pouched flower, usually but not always with a very small opening. They are generally epiphytic in nature, and like most tropical plants adapted to that habitat, require a fairly open planting medium that is allowed to dry somewhat between waterings. Nematanthus produces large numbers of orange flowers which look like tiny goldfish.