Climber, up to about 10 m high. Young parts sparsely and appressedly pale-haired, quickly glabrescent. Twigs terete, internodes (3-)5-15(-20) cm. Leaves ovate or ovate-elliptic to obovate-oblong, c. 1.25-1.75 times as long as broad, 8-13 (-17) by 5-8.5(-11) cm, herbaceous; base rounded or slightly cordate; top rounded and longer or shorter acuminate; surfaces glabrous, except sometimes the basal part of the midrib; nerves 4-7 pairs, flat above, prominent beneath; petiole 1-2(-3) cm. Inflorescences (5-)10-20 cm long, glabrous. Bracts minute. Pedicels 1-3 cm. Buds ovate-elliptic. Flowers white, sometimes yellow-green, only few setting fruit. Sepals 2-3 by 1-1.5 mm, thin, oblong, top rounded and sometimes a bit ciliate, further glabrous. Petals oblong with rounded top, 5-7 by 2-3 mm. Filaments 1.25-1.5 mm, anthers c. 1.5-2 by 1 mm. Carpophore pyramidal, 1-2 mm high; wing suborbicular, mostly emarginate, approximately flat, (3-)3½-5(-6) cm long, (2-)3-4.5(-5.5) cm broad, pale-translucent to shiny brown and coriaceous; dorsal wing distinct but narrow. Seed in the centre of the wing, linear, 0.75-1 cm long.
Light, forested habitats, from the lowland up to 600 m; fl. Dec.-Jan. (Java), June-July (Philippines) but in the latter islands also in other months.
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