Twiner up to 10 (-40) m high. Old stems terete, 1.5-2 cm ø, bark corky, longitudinally fissured or ridged. Branches terete, 2-6 mm ø, striate, glabrous. Leaves chartaceous to coriaceous, ovate to lanceolate in outline, sometimes broad-ovate, rarely sub-orbicular, 7-18 (-24) by (3-) 4-8 (-21) cm; apex acuminate, rarely cuspidate; base cordate, sinus 1-2.5 cm deep, sometimes auriculate with auricles overlapping, rarely shallowly cordate, concave, or subtruncate (especially when young); glabrous above, densely puberulous beneath; nervation palmate, appearing as 5 (-7)-nerved; inner pair of nerves nearly reaching the apex; outer pair much shorter, branched at the base with 1 or 2 branches extending to the margin or auricles; nerves prominent beneath, distinct above, joined by closely foveolate-reticulate and crossbar-like veins and veinlets; veins and veinlets slightly elevated and prominent beneath, distinct or rather faint above; petiole 2-4 (-7.5) cm, glabrous. Inflorescences in axils of leaves or cauligerous, often with very short branches, internodes hardly visible and flowers almost fasciculate; bracts lanceolate, 4-5 mm long, minutely hairy on both surfaces. Pedicel and ovary 28-40 mm long, slightly twisted, glabrous. Perianth maroon or purple-brown, at first straight or horizontal then curved, veins faint, glabrous outside, with scattered, glandular hairs inside; utricle subglobose, c. 7 mm ø, not stiped, with 6 (or 2) glandular, ellipsoid bodies (c. 2 by 1 mm) (6, rarely 2, depressions shown on the outer surface); tube 10-14 by 2.5 mm; limb 1-lipped, ovate-oblong, 30 by 14-16 mm. Gynostemium c. 2.5 mm long. Stamens 6; anthers oblong, c. 1 mm long. Style 6-lobed, lobes triangular, 1.5 mm long, with an annular ring at the base. Capsules cylindric or obo-void, not angular or ridged, 2.5-4 by 1.5 cm, glabrous (minutely granulate examined with hand lens). Seeds triangular, c. 5 by 4 mm, not winged, verrucose on both surfaces; funicle broadened, membranous, and covering the upper surface.
More
Herbs twining. Stems terete, glabrous. Petiole 3-6 cm, glabrous; leaf blade ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 5-15 × 2-3 cm, leathery, abaxially densely puberulous along closely reticulate veinlets, adaxially glabrous, veins palmate, 2-3 pairs from base, base deeply cordate or auriculate, sinus 1-2.5 cm deep, lateral lobes overlapping or slightly incurved, apex acuminate. Racemes in axils of leafy shoots, 3-or 4-flowered or flowers almost fascicled, 2-3 cm. Pedicel ascending, 1-1.5 cm, sparsely villous; bractlets ovate or lanceolate, 4-5 × 2-3 mm. Calyx purple-brown; tube rectilinear or slightly curved, abaxially glabrous; utricle globose, ca. 6 mm in diam., sessile; tube ca. 20 × 6 mm; limb unilateral, ligulate, ovate-oblong, ca. 2 × 1-1.6 cm. Anthers elliptic, ca. 1 mm. Gynostemium 6-lobed. Capsule cylindric to obovoid, 2-2.5 × 1.5 cm, dehiscing acropetally. Seeds ovoid-deltoid, ca. 5 × 4 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Aug-Oct.
In primary, sometimes in secondary forest, often at low and medium altitudes, sometimes found at 1500-2100 m. Fl. May-Aug., Dec; fr. May, Oct., Dec.
Home
