Underground parts unknown. Plant glabrous. Stem unarmed in its upper parts, 2 mm thick at the horizon of flowering, wiry and in its appearance like the stem of D. laurifolia. Bulbils not seen. Leaves opposed on the thicker parts and alternate distally, lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, base rounded or very obtuse, apex acuminate, to 13 by 3 cm; margin strengthened, 5-nerved; petiole equalling only ¼ the length of the lamina, or even less. Male inflorescences one at a time from the axils of upper leaves, some of them exceeding the leaves in length, others shorter; the flower-bearing axes carried on these, 1 or 2 together, are laxly disposed after the manner of the inflorescence of D. lampro-caula; anthesis proceeds up the axes whereas in many species of Dioscorea anthesis is nearly simultaneous along its whole length. Half grown buds are globose, later the base widens and forms a saddle half embracing the axis. Filament as long as the anther. The torus lifts the organs of the flower: the inner tepals a little, the stamens before the outer tepals rather more, and those before the inner tepals more still; superficially the stamens appear connate, but the impression is false; the lower part of the mid-line of the petals, and the backs of the filaments have their attachment to the torus continued upwards and there arise from this six narrow slits as a complication in the flower-structure. Female flowers unknown. Capsule (known only from detached valves) just retuse at the apex, the wings 22 by 18 mm; stipe 6-7 mm.
In rain forest and among shrubs, ± 300 m alt., fl. in--09. If it be right that water held by the fleshiness of the male flowers of Enantiophylla preserves them fresh during anthesis for a longer time than would be possible without it, then this upward growth of the torus is an adaptation of interest and it appears as an advance that has originated in Celebes.
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