Belongs to the ditypic genus: R. humbertii and R. phillipsonii; Tribe: Rhynchophoreae. Climbing shrub with a rounded stem. Leaves deciduous, opposite, simple. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, umbellate, arranged in small loose panicles. Fruit indehiscent, winged; wings borne around the apex of the fruit giving the whole fruit a helicopter-like appearance.

Phylogenetically, Rynchophora is within the Madagasikaroids clade, it is closely related to the monotypic genus Madagasikaria (Davis & al., 2004).