Climbers 1-5 m long, (sub)perennial, leafy stem 1-2 mm diam., green on drying; monoecious. Probract absent. Tendrils unbranched. Leaves: blade simple, entire or shortly hastately lobed, subpinniveined to palmiveined. Flowers 5(-10) mm diam., sepals minute, linear or subulate, ± patent; petals white (but see note on I. blumei), free, obovate-elliptic, valvate in bud; receptacle-tube campanulate or urceolate. Male inflorescence a slender peduncled lax raceme, sometimes co-axillary with 1 female flower, pedicels persistent; bracts absent. Male flowers: sepals with or without adaxially a short spur; stamens 3, inserted close to the throat of the receptacle-tube, filaments short, thick, anthers two 2-thecous, one 1-thecous, only included at base, thecae ± lateral, straight or slightly curved, connective broad, not produced; disc free, at apex ± 3-parted. Female flowers solitary or co-axillary with male raceme; ovary narrowly ellipsoid, ± with slender neck, glabrous; stigma consisting of 3 short arms, each arm with numerous, thread-like appendages; staminodes absent; disc a faintly 3-lobed annulus, largely free from the receptacle-tube. Fruit solitary or co-axillary with male raceme, ripenning green, narrowly ellipsoid, fusiform, 5-7 cm long, glabrous, pulpy; dry exocarp membranous-cartilaginous, smooth. Seeds numerous, compressed, ovate-elliptic, faces little convex, not sculptured, but with dense appressed hairs, margin absent, edge entire, not winged.
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