Cissus nigropilosa Dewit

Erect perennial herb or climber 0.5–2.1 m. tall or long; stems striate, pubescent with short curved yellowish hairs admixed with black medifixed hairs, later glabrescent, without tendrils or rarely with short unbranched or bifid slender tendrils.. Leaves digitately 5-foliolate; leaflets linear to oblanceolate, 1.5–11 cm. long, 0.3–1.2 cm. wide, acute to shortly acuminate at the apex, narrowly cuneate at the base, ciliate-dentate especially towards the apex, pubescent with white hairs above, together with a few scattered deciduous black medifixed hairs, beneath densely covered with black medifixed hairs especially when young and with stiff curved white hairs on the main nerves; petiole 1.5–6.5 cm. long, with similar indumentum to the stems; stipules triangular, 2–4 mm. long and wide, ciliate, glabrous above, pubescent with simple white and black medifixed hairs.. Flowers in slender leaf-opposed cymes; peduncle 2–5.5 cm. long with hairs similar to stems; pedicels 1.5–2.5 mm. long, lengthening to 6 mm. in fruit, densely covered with black medifixed hairs; bracts and bracteoles triangular, ± 1 mm. long, ciliate and with few simple white hairs and black medifixed hairs.. Calyx 0.25 mm. long, pubescent and with medifixed hairs.. Petals brown and green, narrowly ovate, 1.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, similarly pubescent.. Ovary glabrous; style 1 mm. long; stigma slightly notched.. Fruit dark purple-black, ovoid, 8 mm. long, 6 mm. wide, 1-seeded.. Seed ovoid, 6 mm. long, 4 mm. wide.. Figs. 6/2, p.31; 7, p.34.