Tuber replaced annually, branching at top, the branches cylindric, descending vertically, up to 60 cm. long and 10 cm. in diameter.. Twining stems 6 m. long or more, sparsely beset with stellate hairs, soon glabrescent.. Leaves usually opposite, occasionally alternate; petiole up to 6(–15) cm. long; blade ovate, rarely heart-shaped, with the base varying from deeply and widely cordate to subtruncate, acutely acuminate, up to 12(–14) cm. long and 7(–11) cm. broad, sparsely or densely clothed with small or longer stellate hairs, especially on the nerves, sometimes glabrescent beneath, subglabrous or with a few scattered stellate hairs above.. Inflorescences descending, spicate.. Male up to 6(–12) per leaf-axil, up to 7(–11) cm. long; flowers sessile, directed away from the axis; perianth ultimately curving outwards in flower, ± 3 mm. across; segments ovate, the inner narrower, obtuse, ± 2 mm. long.. Female 3(–5) per leaf-axil, up to 25 cm. long, usually much shorter; perianth erect, almost 1.5 mm. across. Ovary densely stellate-pubescent.. Capsule as in fig. 5/5, ± 4 cm. in diameter, glabrescent.. Seeds winged all round, 2 cm. in diameter.. Figs. 4, p. 17, and 5.
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A yam. It is a vine 6 m long. It has a tuber 60 cm long and 10 cm across. The leaves are usually opposite but sometimes alternate. The leaf blade is oval to heart shaped. The leaves can be 12 cm long by 8 cm wide. They can have small hairs. The male flowers are in groups of up to 6 in the axils of leaves and along stalks that are 7-10 cm long. The flowers do not have stalks. The female flowers are in groups or 3 along stalks 25 cm long. The fruit capsule is 4 cm across. The seeds are round with wings. They are 2 cm across.
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