Liana, old stem up to c. 1.5 cm ø. Branches rather terete, 4-5 mm ø, with some prominent lenticels, glabrous. Leaves subcoriaceous, (5-) 8-19 by (4-) 5-12 cm; apex acuminate or short-acuminate; base cordate, with a narrow sinus up to 2.5-3 cm deep; auricles usually overlapping, rounded at apex; glabrous above, minutely hairy beneath; basal nerves 2 (-3) pairs, the inner pair similar to the midrib, ascending to near the apex of the blade, the outer one much shorter, with branches extending upward or to the auricles, elevated and prominent beneath, distinct above; lateral nerves hardly distinguishable from the veins; veins closely reticulate, elevated and prominent beneath, faint or invisible above; petiole (2-) 6-8 cm, sparsely shortly hairy or almost glabrous. Inflorescences cauligerous, rarely also in axils of leaves, racemiform, rachis up to 3 cm long, inter-nodes very short or condensed, sometimes the bracteate flowering rachis very short and flowers appearing fascicled; bracts lanceolate, 5-10 mm long, sparsely minutely hairy on both surfaces, glabrescent. Pedicel and ovary c. 20 mm, glabrous. Perianth white or reddish, no stipe at the base, with a contraction between perianth and ovary, glabrous outside, venation rather faint; utricle subglobose, c. 7 mm ø, hairy inside, with 2 glandular, round bodies (c. 0.5 mm ø); tube c. 7 by 2 mm, glandular-hairy inside; limb 1-lipped, linear, c. 20 by 4 mm, with glandular hairs on the inner surface. Stamens 6; anthers oblong, c. 0.7 mm long. Gynostemium c. 1 mm long; style 6-lobed; lobes triangular, c. 0.5 mm long, the basal part of each lobe slightly extended outward (c. 0.3 mm long and wide). Capsules yellowish when mature (NGF 45343), hard, tardily dehiscent, cylindric or oblong, not ridged or angular, 2.5-4.5 by 2-3 cm, minutely granular. Seeds triangular or deltoid, 7 by 6-7 mm, not winged, rather smooth or obscurely muriculate on both surfaces; funicle broadened and covering the upper surface.
In primary, sometimes in secondary, forests, on rough, rocky, wet ground, on edge of creek, or along stream, from lowland up to 1500 m. Fl.--06; fr. June, Aug., Sept., Oct.
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