Climber. Branches c. 2 mm ø, smooth, glabrous. Leaves thin-chartaceous, oblong, elliptic-oblong, ovate-oblong, narrow-lanceolate, 7-12.5 by (1-) 3-5.5 cm; apex acuminate; base obtuse, sometimes slightly cuneate, rarely truncate; glabrous, minutely shortly hairy beneath, glabrescent; 1 pair of basal nerves, ascending upward to about halfway the blade, lateral nerves 4 or 5 pairs distinct sometimes faint beneath, rather faint above; veins loosely transverse or reticulate, often faint beneath, obscure above; petiole 1.5-2.5 cm, glabrous or sometimes sparsely short-hairy. Inflorescences in axils of foliage leaves, usually very short, sometimes up to c. 5 cm long, racemiform and with distinct internodes; bracts ovate, 1.5-2 mm long, hairy on the margin, glabrescent. Pedicel and ovary 10-30 mm, minutely hairy, glabescent. Perianth green with brown limb, straight or with the limb slightly bent, minutely hairy outside; utricle subglobose, c. 6 mm ø, with a distinct stipe of 5 mm, hairy inside, 2 glandular, subglobose bodies (c. 0.3 mm ø); tube 17 by 1.5 mm, sparsely hairy inside; limb oblong, 27 by 7 mm, hairy above, glabrescent, margin reflexed. Style column c. 2 mm long, 6-lobed; lobes lanceolate, c. 1 mm long, basal parts projecting and forming an annular ring. Stamens 6; anthers oblong, c. 0.7 mm long. Capsules short cylindric, c. 2.2 by 1.5 cm, 6-ridged. Seeds triangular, 5 by 5-5.5 mm, verrucose on both surfaces, not winged.
Uses. A decoction of a piece of the root or of small twigs (less powerful than root) is used to treat stomach-ache, spasm and constipation, and also intermittent fever. On trips travellers often take a piece of root or lowest part of a stem about the length of a finger and drink the decoction from it as tea ( RUMPHIUS Herb. Amb. 5 1747 476 HEYNE Nutt. Pl. 1927 596 PERRY Medic. Pl. E. & SE. Asia 1980 47 ).
Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
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