Stout climber. Leaves leathery, elliptic, black when dry, up to 18 by 9 cm, transversely striate above by some fibres; secondary nerves straight, directed forward, indistinctly joining, tertiary ones reticulate. ♂ Inflorescences 15 cm (or longer), widely divaricate-branched; fertile parts 3-5 cm, twice as long as peduncle; collars numerous, 2 by 4 mm, cylindric. Flowers interspersed with numerous hairs; ♂ flowers obconical, much narrowed to base, 1.5 by ¾ mm; sporophyll thin, 2 mm exserted; sporangia 2, ovoid. ♀ Inflorescences cauline, large, 16 cm long, 18 cm wide, branched twice or three times, spike 8 cm long, collars numerous. ♀ Flowers 6-8 to each collar, immersed in dense hair tufts, broadly ovate, their outer envelop containing many fibres. Sterile ♀ flowers 6, obliquely conical, 1½ by 1 mm, external and internal involucre strongly fibrous (E. Malay Peninsula, P. Tioman, KADIM & NOOR 644). Fruits large, 5-6 cm long, 2½ cm thick, ellipsoidal, tapering to both ends, sessile, but by means of a basal cushion, obtuse; outer envelop fleshy and very fibrous, middle one slightly woody, with longitudinal ribs, inner one papery, fibrous. Seed 3 cm long.
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