Liana with flattened, woody stems. Leaves leathery, brown or blackish when dry, oblong-elliptic, up to 25 by 10 cm, often much smaller; secondary nerves bent, distinctly joining, rather distant from each other, tertiary nerves indistinct. ♂ Inflorescences cauline, simple, thick, about 6 cm long, 5 mm thick, pendulous. ♂ Flowers numerous, 80-100, obconic, 2 mm high; sporophyll exserted by 1 mm; sterile flowers 10, acute, ovate. ♀ Inflorescences cauline, thick, pendulous, 5 cm long, collars 5 mm spaced. ♀ Flowers 5-7 to each collar, embedded in a dense, long hair tuft, broadly ovate, 5 mm long, inner envelop 2½ mm exserted, split. Fruits sessile on an elongated axis up to 15 cm, ellipsoid, shining, up to 3 cm long and half as broad, sometimes with a basal cushion; outer envelop fleshy and fibrous, middle one firmly papery, innermost papery.
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