Undershrub, spreading or twining, up to 10 m high. Branches obscurely angular, 3-5 mm ø, glabrous. Leaves chartaceous or subcoriaceous, broadly or transversely ovate or suborbicular in outline, 11-23 by 15-24 cm, deeply 3-lobed, in shape often reminding of the letter 'W, glabrous; base emargi-nate, subcordate, or almost truncate, rarely cuneate; midlobe usually obovate-or ovate-oblong, 5.5-20 by 6.5-10 cm, apex obtuse or acute, rarely short acuminate; lateral lobes oblong, falcate or semilunar, curved upward, sometimes spreading almost horizontally, 4-15 by 2.5-6 cm, rounded or obtuse at the apex; midrib with 2 or 3 pairs of lateral nerves; basal nerves 2, each once or twice branched (the leaf seemingly 5-7-nerved); nerves elevated and prominent beneath, rather less so above; veins loosely transverse or reticulate, slightly elevated on both surfaces; petiole 2-7 cm, glabrous. Inflorescences in axils of foliage leaves, spiciform or racemiform, up to c. 7 (-25) cm long, internodes distinct; bracts rather loose, ovate, c. 1.5 mm long, glabrous beneath, short-hairy above. Pedicels and ovary 1.5-3 cm, glabrous. Perianth purple-brown or-red, or purple, slightly curved, 7.5-11 cm long, glabrous outside; utricle ellipsoid or obovoid, 2-3.5 cm long, with a stipe of 6-7 mm, inside hairy, with 2 ellipsoid, glandular bodies; tube 2-3.5 cm long, hairy inside; limb 1-lipped, oblong or ovate-oblong, elliptic, or spathu-late, erect or reclined, 3.5-4.5 by 2-2.5 cm, tomen-tose or villous on the upper surface and mouth of the tube. Stamens 6; anthers ellipsoid-oblong, c. 1.5 mm long. Style column 5-7 mm long, 6-lobed; lobes conical, with a prominent annular ring at their base. Capsules oblong, 5-6 by 2.5 cm, 6-angular, glabrous. Seeds triangular-orbicular, 4-5 by 5-7 mm (excl. wing), lower surface smooth except a few warts at the apical and basal ends, upper surface slightly ridged at the centre; marginate, the wing 3-5 mm wide.
In forest, sometimes in swampy forest behind the sea coast, from sea level up to 1200 m. Fl. Feb., June, Nov., fr. Jan., Feb., April, Sept., Oct.
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