Shrub or climber to 8 m., provided with a ± conical fleshy-woody main stem up to 2 m., glabrous.. Leaf-blades grey to glaucous beneath, not punctate, shallowly to deeply 3–5(–7)-lobed, orbicular to ovate in outline, base cordate, top obtuse or rounded, 1.5–12 by 1.5–13 cm., 5-nerved from near base; margin entire; lobes semi-orbicular to lanceolate, rarely 3-lobed, obtuse, ± acute in juvenile specimens, up to 5 cm.; petiole 1–8 cm.. Gland at blade-base 1, median on the half-orbicular subpeltate base; blade-glands 0–6, submarginal.. Stipules narrowly triangular, 0.5–1 mm., withering.. Inflorescences mostly on short-shoots up to 5(–15) cm.., rarely in the axils of normal leaves, peduncled up to 1.5 cm., (1–)3–5-flowered in ♂, 1(–3)-flowered in ♀; tendril 0(–1), up to 5 cm.; sterile tendrils simple, up to 12 cm.. Male flowers tubiform-infundibuliform, including the (3.5–)15–33 mm. long stipe (18–)30–56 mm.; hypanthium tubiform, 9–15 by (1–)2–3 mm.; calyx-tube 0; sepals lanceolate, obtuse, (5–)6–9 mm., entire; petals oblong (to lanceolate), obtusish, 3–6 mm., 3–5-nerved, subentire; filaments 4–10 mm., free or up to 1 mm. connate, inserted 0.5–5 mm. above the base in the hypanthium; anthers 4–6 mm., obtuse; septa 0; corona 0; disk glands 0.5–1 mm., free or connate into a ring.. Female flowers infundibuliform, including the 4–8 mm. long stipe 15–24 mm.; hypanthium 5–8 by 3(–4) mm.; calyx-tube 0; sepals oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, 5–8 mm., entire; petals oblong-lanceolate, 3–4 mm., 1–3-nerved, subentire; staminodes ± 3 mm., free, inserted at or near the base of the hypanthium; septa 0; corona 0; disk glands ± 0.5 mm., free; gynophore 2.5–5 mm.; ovary ovoid-oblong, 4–6 mm.; styles connate for 1–3 mm., free style-arms up to 0.5 mm.; stigmas subreniform, woolly-papillate, each 1.5–3 mm. in diameter.. Fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, ± ovoid-ellipsoid, ± narrowed at the top, excluding the curved 7–12 mm. long gynophore 2–4.5 by 1.5–3 cm.; pericarp coriaceous.. Seeds 15–35 per capsule, orbicular to broadly ovate, 4.5–6 mm.. Fig. 6.
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A succulent vine with a swollen base. This swollen part is green or purple and can be 1.5 m long and 15 cm across. Vines are produced from the top of this swollen organ. The vines can grow several metres long. They have tendrils for support. The leaves are lobed.
A sub-arborescent climber, twining; with glabrous glaucous stems.
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