Twiner, sometimes creeper, up to 20 m high. Old stem terete, rather smooth, c. 1.2 cm ø. Branches terete, c. 4 mm ø, striate, glabrous. Leaves chartaceous, ovate, broad-ovate, triangular or deltoid in outline, 11-22 by 10-18 cm; apex acute or short-acuminate; base subtruncate (especially when young), subcordate or cordate (usually adult leaves; with the sinus up to 2.5 cm deep; sometimes with 2 divergent, rounded auricles); glabrous; midrib and nerves palmate; basal nerves 2 pairs, similar to the midrib, inner pair ascending to the apex, outer pair much shorter, elevated beneath, distinct above; lateral nerves hardly distinguishable from the veins; veins slightly elevated beneath, distinct or faint above, major veins connecting the inner pair of nerves and midrib, ± transverse at the lower ⅓ or ½ of the blade, reticulations rather loose; petiole 2.5-8.5 cm, glabrous. Inflorescences in the axils of leaves, with rachis up to 6 cm long, or cauligerous (often with several mostly simple branches, arising from a knob or spot of the stem, up to 14 cm long), branches usually spiciform, with spacious internodes; bracts ovate or triangular, 0.7-1.5 (-5) mm long, glabrous but ciliate on the margin. Pedicel and ovary 10-14 mm, glabrous. Perianth straight or slightly curved, with variable colours recorded as white, yellow, pale green with pinkish tinge, green to brownish, brown red or dark brown red, with a distinct stipe (3-4 mm) slightly dilated at base, longitudinal and reticulate veins distinct, glabrous outside; utricle broad-ellipsoid, 8-15 by 5-9 mm, sparsely hairy inside, with 2 glandular, ellipsoid bodies (c. 1.5 mm long); tube 8-12 by 1.5-2 mm, with scattered glandular trichomes inside; limb 1-lipped, obovate or oblanceolate, 17-20 by 8-12 mm, with scattered glandular trichomes on the inner surface. Stamens 6; anthers oblong, c. 1 mm long. Style column 3.5-4 mm long, 6-lobed; lobes lanceolate, c. 1.5 mm long, with an annular ring at the base. Capsules oblong, 4-6 by c. 3 cm, glabrous. Seeds (incl. wing) transverse-oblong, 6-11.5 by 12-16 mm; seed proper deltoid 6-8 by 6-8 mm, smooth on both surfaces, with a central, longitudinal ridge above; wing 2.5-4 mm broad.
In primary forest, sometimes in beach, secondary and swampy forests, clearing ground and thickets at low altitudes. Fl. April, June, July, Sept., Oct., Dec.; fr. May, Aug., Sept., Oct., Dec.
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