Tuber unknown. Plant to some extent hairy, but glabrescent. Stem to 14 mm in diam. at the base and there abundantly prickly, above with scattered small prickles. Leaves almost exactly cordate, with the margin very evenly rounded, shortly acuminate, to 16 by 20 cm, but as a rule not larger than 13 by 13 cm, 9-nerved; primary and secondary nerves distinct above and somewhat impressed, prominent below, the secondary almost ladderlike; surfaces of the lamina equally bright on the two sides; petiole puberulous or pubescent, shorter than the lamina by ¾ to ⅓. Male flowering axes 1-4 together from the axils of upper leaves, more or less ascending and sometimes erect, to 45 cm, carrying upwards of 70 pale green flowers which are for the most part solitary though there may be sometimes a second flower cymosely on the pedicel of the first; axis conspicuously ridged. Bracts lanceolate, acute, puberulous, 3 mm long; bracteoles placed rather above the middle of the pedicel. Torus a funnel-shaped perianthoid tube ½ mm. Tepals lanceolate, ridged on the inner face just within their margins and down the middle line, 1½ mm long. Stamens inserted just below the tepals, raising their anthers well out from the tube; filaments ½ mm long. Female flowering axes to 80 cm, sometimes branched, axis strongly ridged. Tepals recurved as in the male, but less sharply, 1½ mm long. Stigmas big, extruding from the flower. Pedicel 6-8 mm long in anthesis. Ovary more or less pubescent. Capsules horizontal from the downwardly directed axis or perhaps slightly ascending by being reflexed through rather more than 90°; wings to 35 by 9 mm, the obtuse apex raises the withered remains of the flower by 1-2 mm; stipe to 1 cm. Seeds inserted on the lower half of the placenta, their outer margin narrowly winged, wing widening upwards and extended from the apex of the seed towards the apex of the cell, to 35 mm long wing included.
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