Large woody climber up to c. 40 m. Stem up to 5 cm ø, containing white latex, young shoot-tips tendrilliform. Leaves: petioles (2—)4—13 cm, often drying blackish at least at the swollen base; lamina elliptic, elliptic-ovate to ovate or oblong-elliptic, base sometimes subpeltate, usually rounded, apex acuminate, often shortly so, (9—)11—21(—28) by (3.5-) 5-14 cm, upper surface often drying greyish and smooth with reticulation obscure, thinly coriaceous. Inflorescences axillary or ramiflorous, c. 10-38 cm with lateral branches up to 12 cm. Male flowers sweetly scented, on pedicels up to 5 mm or sessile; main sepals white or yellow, broadly elliptic, concave, 2.5-4 mm long; stamens 6, 2-2.5 mm long, filament thickly columnar, incurved, anthers rather elongate and narrowly rounded at apex with lateral longitudinal slits. Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male; staminodes subulate, 2 mm; carpels ellipsoidal, 1.75 mm long, stigma cleft-like, small. Infructescences often ramiflorous up to c. 55 cm. Drupes yellow to orange on pedicels 6-15 mm; endocarp 2-2.5 cm long, wall c. 1 mm thick, hard and rigid.
In Thailand recorded up to c. 100 m, locally common in dry evergreen forest, also in bamboo forest and scrub; in Vietnam at c. 1200 m on clayey soil in forest with undergrowth of tea bushes. In Malaya at low altitudes in primary forest, dense bamboo forest, lowland secondary and disturbed forest, along riverside and on rocky coast. In Sumatra at 1000 m. In Sarawak locally abundant in peat swamp forest, also in primary lowland forest and in secondary forest at 1000 m. In Brunei on yellow sandy loam in secondary forest and in mixed peat swamp forest. In Sabah up to 900 m in primary and secondary for-est on ultrabasic, sandstone and stony blackish soil, in logged forest and along river banks. Fl. Jan.-Oct.; fr. Jan.-Dec.
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Found in both primary and secondary formations in dry evergreen forest; peat swamp forest; or in association with bamboo and shrubby vegetation; along river banks and in logged forest; at elevations up to 1,200 metres.
Uses. The stems are used medicinally in Malaya, as a stomach medicine in Sarawak, also for dyeing and for cordage. HEYNE (1927) and BURKILL (1935) recorded various uses, against dysentery, diabetes and headache; alkaloids occur; the yellow dye is possibly berberine, but see BISSET in FORMAN, l.c. 540.
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