Shrub-like when young with arching stems, climber when possible. Stems densely lenticellate; glabrous to short puberulent. Leaves: petiole 3-11 mm long; blade 2.2-14 by 0.7-4.7 cm, 1.3-7 times as long as wide, elliptic, oblong or narrowly ovate, apex acuminate, base rounded to cuneate, glabrous to puberulent, then more densely beneath, especially on veins, 8-18 pairs of secondary veins, prominent beneath, anastomosing before margin forming a strong intramarginal nerve. Inflorescence lax, terminal and axillary, glabrous to sparsely puberulent, 4-20 cm long; pedicels 0.6-9.5 mm long. Sepals 2-8 by 0.8-2.1 mm, 1.7-5.3 times as long as wide, puberulent to glabrous, oblong to narrowly ovate, apex acute or acuminate; with a continuous row of colleters on the inside. Corolla white; tube 4.4-9.9 by 1.6-1.9 mm, 0.4-1 times as long as lobes, 1.3-2.1 times as long as calyx, glabrous or minutely puberulent outside, short puberulent inside and densely puberulent just beneath stamen insertion; lobes 5.5-21.9 by 1.2-3.3 mm, 3-9.5 times as long as wide, linear, apex acute to acuminate. Stamens inserted at 2.2-4 mm from corolla base which is 0.3-0.5 of corolla tube length; anthers 2.5-3.2 by 0.4-0.7 mm, 3.7-7 times as long as wide. Disk of 5 wide rounded lobes to annular; 0.2-0.6 mm long, 0.3-1 times as long as ovary. Ovaries 0.4-1.2 mm high, minutely puberulent to glabrous; style 1.5-3.1 mm long, style head 0.8-2 mm long. Fruit linear, 16.5-74 cm by 4-10 mm, lenticellate, glabrous to sparsely puberulent. Seeds 4.7-13.6 by 0.6-2.3 mm; coma 2-5.1 cm long.
UsesA decoction of the roots is said to be used internally to treat urinary problems, as a tonic against fevers, as a treatment for anaemia and loss of appetite, and as an aid to menstruation. The leaves are also said to be edible with a sweetish taste. The fibrous bark can be used for binding.
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