Dioecious or polygamo-dioecious, perennial, lignescent vines, climbing by means of the foliar tendrils, the branches reddish-brown, striate, often sericeous. Leaves opposite, 3-to 5-foliate, the leaflets sericeous, at least below, often glabres-cent, narrowly to broadly ovate, apically acute to acuminate, basally truncate to cor-date, coarsely and often asymmetrically dentate with apiculate teeth or lobes, 3-10 cm. long, 2.5-8.0 cm. broad, with 3-9 veins arising palmately at or near the base, the petiolules 1-5 cm. long, the petioles mostly 5-10 cm. long, the sericeous rhachis often coiling. Staminate inflorescences of axillary and terminal compound dichasial cymes, the main axis often elongate and terminating in a simple cyme, giving off 3-7 pairs of simple or compound cymes, the main branches bracteate, sericeous throughout, the bracts progressively reduced; sepals 4, oblong-obovate, apically obtuse; 3-nerved, marginally involute, 6-9 mm. long, 3-4 mm. broad; stamens numerous, 3-7 mm. long, the filaments flattened, the anthers basifixed, 2-celled, 0.6-0.8 mm. long, longitudinally dehiscent, the outer stamens usually longer and perhaps infertile; pistillodes plumose when present. Carpellate inflorescences as the male, the sepals 4, early caducous, 3-ribbed, marginally involute, 6.5-9.0 mm. long, 3-4 mm. broad; carpels numerous, the ovary 1-2 mm. long, arcuate-ellipsoid, pubescent, the plumose style 5-10 mm. long. Mature achenes compressed-ellipsoid, flanged, 2.0-3.5 mm. long, 1-2 mm. broad, reddish-brown, the elongate style plumose with hairs to 4 mm. long.
Home