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Male flower: (13)15–27 × 3–5 mm. (incl. the (2)4–10 mm. long stipe), tubular-infundibuliform; hypanthium 1·5–3·5 × 2–5 mm., cup-shaped; calyx-tube (4)5–10 mm. long; calyx-lobes 5–8(10) mm. long, oblong to lanceolate, ± obtuse at the apex, serrulate-fimbriate at the margin; petals 5·5–9 × (1)1·5–2 mm., lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved, serrulate, inserted at the same level as the corona or up to 2 mm. above; corona consisting of fine hairs 0·33–1 mm. long; stamen-filaments 2–4·5 mm. long, connate at the base, inserted at the base of the hypanthium or on an androgynophore up to 3 mm. long; anthers 3·5–5 × (0·5)0·75–1 mm. with apiculum up to 0·2 mm. long; disk-glands 0·75–1·5 mm. long; vestigial ovary 0·5–0·75 mm. on a gynophore up to 0·75 mm. long.
Female flower: 10–22 × (3)3·5–6 mm. (incl. the 1–7 mm. long stipe), tubular-campanulate; hypanthium 1–2·5(3) × 3–5 mm., cup-shaped; calyx-tube 2·5–7·5 mm. long; calyx-lobes 3–6(8) mm. long, oblong, obtuse to acute, serrulate-laciniate; petals 3–7·5 × 0·5–1·5 mm., lanceolate, acute, 1–3-nerved, entire or shallowly denticulate in the upper 1/2, inserted at the level of the corona; corona comprising hairs 0·5–1 mm. long; staminodes 2·5–4 mm. long, connate for up to 1·5 mm. at the base, inserted at the base of the hypanthium; disk-glands 0·5–1 mm. long; pistil 6–11 mm. long; gynophore 1·5–3 mm. long; ovary 3·5–6 × 2·5–4 mm., ovoid-ellipsoid; styles connate at the base, with the arms 0·5–1 mm. long, ending in subglobular papillate stigmas.
Leaf-lamina 1–15 ×0·5–5 cm., ovate, obovate or lanceolate, apex acute-acuminate to broadly obtuse or sometimes ± truncate, usually with mucro 0·5–1 mm. long, margin entire, acute to rounded at the base, membranous to coriaceous, greenish or brownish above, grey to glaucous beneath, punctate or not, with 3–5 main nerves from the base, 2–5 pairs of nerves from the midrib and usually distinct reticulation; petiole 0·2–3 cm. long.
Cymes 2–20(50)-flowered in male, 1–3(5)-flowered in female; peduncle up to 2(3) cm. long; bracts and bracteoles 1–2 mm. long, narrowly triangular to lanceolate, entire or serrulate; pedicels 2–20 mm. long in male, 2–10 mm. long in female; tendril 0–1, 3–7(10) cm. long.
Lamina-base glands 1 or 2, 0·5–2 mm. in diameter, contiguous or separate, on a wart-like or subspathulate median appendage or on 2 ± connate or separate auricles; lamina-glands 0 or 1–3 pairs, usually approximate to the axils of the nerves.
Climber or suberect branched herb up to 6 m., arising from a tuberous rootstock up to 30 cm. in diameter.
Capsule 2–4 × 1·5–2·5 cm., oblong-obovoid, with ± thickly coriaceous pericarp, 10–30-seeded.
Seeds 5–7 × 4·5–6 × 2·5–3 mm., ovate to orbicular, pitted.
Stipules 1–1·5 mm. long, linear.
Sterile tendrils 2–10 cm. long.