Shrubby twiners; stems striate, puberulent to tomentose. Leaves petiolate, conspicuously or obscurely peltate or basifixed, broadly ovate to suborbicular, entire, the apex obtuse, rounded or acute, mucronate, the base cordate or truncate, rarely rounded, 4-14 cm. long, 5-15 cm. wide, membranous to subcoriaceous, palmately 5-to 9-nerved, puberulent and dark above, paler below and sericeous .or tomentose with reddish-yellow, yellowish-brown or whitish hairs; petioles twisted and swollen proximally, 4-11 cm. long, pubescent or more commonly tomentose. Staminate inflorescence multiflowered fasciculate dichasia originating upon secondary axillary branches within the axils of reduced leaves or bracts, rarely axillary from normal leaves; peduncle of cymes at length 1.5 cm. long, densely pubescent; bracts of secondary branches basifixed, sessile or petiolate, ovate to subreniform, mucronate, generally conspicuously involute, pubescent; bracteoles about 1 mm. long, pubes-cent. Staminate flowers: Sepals 4, obovate, 0.8-1.5 mm. long, 0.5-0.8 mm. wide, exteriorly pubescent, the interior with conspicuous red spotting; corolla cupulate, 0.6-1.0 mm. in diameter, sparsely pubescent or glabrous; anthers 4, glabrous. Pistillate inflorescence composed of individual flowers fasciculate in the axils of bracts upon fasciculate secondary, frequently branched, axillary branches; bracts and bracteoles similar to the staminate. Pistillate flowers: Sepal 1, obovate, 1.0-2.0 mm. long, exteriorly pubescent, the interior with conspicuous red spotting; petal 1, suborbicular, 0.5-0.8 mm. long, 0.7-1.0 mm. wide; carpel 1, gibbose, pubescent. Drupe obovoid, compressed, 2-4 mm. long and wide, pubescent; endocarp ribbed, verrucose.
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