Liana, 10 m or longer. Twigs with long persistent, ferrugineous to dark red-brown hairs, older twigs with irregular longitudinal ridges and few lenticels; internodes (4-) 10-15(-20) cm long. Leaves opposite, seldom subopposite or in whorls of 3, subcoriaceous, very variable in shape, sub-orbicular to ovate, elliptic or obovate, 1-2 times as long as broad, 6-13 by 4-8(-11) cm; base rounded to subcordate; top variable (see the varieties), upper surface glabrous, glaucous when dry, nerves often sulcate, lower surface dark ferrugineous to fulvous-haired, nerves prominent, mostly darker haired; nerves 4-7 pairs; petiole 1-2.5(-3) cm, densely haired. Inflorescences many-flowered, 10-20 (-30) cm long, except the pedicels dark brownish red-haired. Bracts acute, to 5 mm long. Pedicels c. 1.5-2.5 cm, terete, thin, glabrous above the bracteoles. Bracteoles inserted below the articulation, often not opposite, articulation below the middle of the pedicel. Flowers white, elliptic-obovate in bud. Sepals 1.5 by 1 mm, glabrous, sometimes ciliate. Petals obovate, c. 5 by 2.5 mm, glabrous, top rounded. Filaments 2-2.5 mm, terete, sometimes connate at the base, glabrous; anthers 1-1¼ mm, somewhat narrowed towards the top. Ovary glabrous, styles 3-4 mm. Samaras on a 2-5(-7) mm long acute carpophore; wing ovate, (2.5-)3-4 by 2½-3 cm, pale greenish and translucent, glabrescent, approximately flat; dorsal wing small, broadest at the base. Seed acroscopically situated in the wing, c. 3/4 cm long.
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