Tubers usually subovoid; roots fibrous. Stem twining to left, brown puberulent when young, glabrescent. Bulblets present. Leaves alternate, palmately 3-or 5-foliolate; petiole 2--10 cm, very rarely softly prickly at base; leaflets paler abaxially than adaxially, obovate-or lanceolate-elliptic to elliptic, 2--14 × 1--5 cm, densely to sparsely puberulent, sometimes adaxially glabrescent, pinnately veined, base attenuate into indistinct petiolule, margin entire, apex long acuminate; lateral leaflets slightly smaller than middle one, oblique. Male spikes or racemes solitary or 2 or 3(--8) together, rarely branched, dense, to 7 cm, rarely forming axillary panicles to 8 cm; axis pale yellow to reddish spreading pubescent; peduncle densely brown or light yellow puberulent. Male flowers: solitary; pedicel 0.5--1.5 mm; bract and bracteole similar, triangular-ovate, 2--3.5 mm, exceeding perianth and forming an involucel around it, densely brown or light yellow puberulent, apex long acuminate; perianth lobes 1.5--2.5 mm, densely brown or light yellow appressed puberulent abaxially; stamens 3. Female spikes solitary or paired, rarely 3 together, to 24 cm. Capsule oblong to oblong-oblanceolate, 1.5--2(--2.4) cm, puberulent; wings 0.5--0.6(--0.75) cm wide. Seeds inserted near apex of capsule; wing pointing toward capsule base. Fl. Jul--Sep, fr. Sep--Nov.
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A yam. The tubers are usually almost oval. The stem twines to the left. They have brown hairs when young. There are bulbils on the stem. The leaves are alternate and have 3 to 5 leaflets arranged like fingers on a hand. They are more pale underneath. The leaf stalks are 2-10 cm long. The leaflets are oval and 2-14 cm long by 1-5 cm wide.
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