Rhizome wide-running, perhaps even to 2 m, ½-1 cm diameter, dark brown, with white flesh. Stem slightly ridged, unarmed, with stipule-like processes at the base of the petioles on the better developed axes. Leaves deeply trifid above a cordate base, shortly acuminate, 9-nerved, two primary nerves reaching the forerunner tip along with the midrib and the second pair reaching the tips of the lateral lobes; petiole xli-2h the length of the blade. Male flowers in small subsessile cymes with up to 4 flowers, spaced along a leafless conspicuously angled axis; bracts ovate-acuminate, very thin in texture, 1½ mm long; pedicels exceedingly short. Tube of the flower campanulate or urceolate, 1 mm long, its thin walls strengthened by the vascular bundles which descend in it from the insertion of the filaments; tepals 1 mm long, long-ovate, obtuse, 1-nerved. Stamens all alike, the filaments inserted just below the tepals, incurved, 0,3 mm long; anthers introrse, small. Female flowers on downwardly directed spike-like racemes; axis angled, to 20 cm long or even longer; pedicels 1 mm; bracts ovate-acute, very thin, 1½ mm. Tube of the flower absent. Outer tepals obovate, obtuse, just exceeding 1 mm, inner ones lanceolate, a little shorter than the outer. Style short. Capsules 1-2 cm apart and scarcely imbricate, wings a little broader than semicircular and sometimes widest above the middle, retuse at the apex, nearly truncate at the base.
More
A yam. The vine climbs 10 m tall. The rhizome is 4-8 cm long by 1-5 cm wide. It is branching and spreading. The vine twines to the left. The leaves have a 3-5 pointed lobes. The leaves are simple and alternate. The leaf stalks are 2-13 cm long.
Home
