Climbing shrub to 9(–12) m. with branches of up to 20 cm. diameter; bark pale grey or yellowish.. Leaves borne on young elongated branches or on very short lateral branches; blades oblong-elliptic or obovate-oblong, 2.5–10(–12.5) cm. long, 1.5–5.8(–7.3) cm. wide, rounded to subacute at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, entire, glabrous, eventually chartaceous, with distinct margin; petiole 1–2.5 cm. long, blackish on drying.. Flowers scented, 4–5-merous, soon falling, borne in cymose-fasciculate inflorescences, each fasciculate element ± 20-flowered; rachis 2–3(–10) mm. long; secondary axes 0–3(–8) mm. long; pedicels 2–5 mm. long, narrowly constricted at the apex.. Corolla white, glabrous.. Male: calyx conical, 5–6 mm. long, 1–2 mm. wide; corolla-tube 5.5–6.5 mm. long; lobes narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, 5 mm. long, up to 2 mm. wide at apex, retuse; free parts of filaments 2–3 mm. long; rudimentary ovary globose, 0.7 mm. diameter.. Female: calyx narrowly obconic, 8–9 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, pubescent inside, slightly grooved with rounded lobes 1–1.5 mm. long, 0.5–2 mm. wide; corolla-tube 7.5 mm. long; lobes oblong-elliptic, 6.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, obtuse; antherodes 1 mm. long, the free part of the filaments 1.5 mm. long; ovary narrowly conical, 2.2 mm. long, the stipe 1 mm. long; style 6.5 mm. long, the main branches 0.5–1 mm. long and secondary branches 7 mm. long including the 2 mm. long stigmas.. Immature fruits in subsessile clusters 4 cm. diameter, entirely included in the calyx; mature resembling oak acorns, ellipsoid, 1.8 cm. long, 1.4 cm. wide, mucronate at the apex, the cupuliform calyx 1 cm. long, 1.4 cm. wide; fruiting pedicels 3–4 mm. long, becoming woody.. Seed ellipsoid, 1.4 cm. long, 9 mm. wide, reticulate-lamellate when dry.. Figs. 5/7, p. 24; 7.
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