Climber to 2 m., unpleasantly aromatic when crushed; lowermost stem subterranean, arising from tuberous rootstock; aerial stems glabrous, rooting and forming tubers at the nodes in lower part.. Leaf-blade ovate-lanceolate in outline, cordate and sometimes with two lateral auricle-like lobes at the base, acuminate, acute and apiculate, ± sinuate-toothed, white-punctate especially on upper surface, 64–150 mm. long, 29–81 mm. broad, unlobed, or especially on young stems palmately often deeply 3-lobed with the middle lobe largest, lanceolate, acuminate, acute and apiculate; petiole sparsely hairy at margins, 14–40 mm. long.. Tendrils simple.? Monoecious.. Male flowers 5–24 in ± contracted racemes; peduncles 16–70 mm. long; pedicels 5–13 mm. long, each subtended by a minute linear bract; receptacle-tube campanulate-urceolate, 4–5 mm. long, hairy inside in upper half; lobes triangular, 1–2 mm. long; petals yellow, 4.5–5.5 mm. long, 2–3 mm. broad; stamens 3; filaments short, hairy ventrally; connectives produced apically.. Female flowers solitary on 21–26 mm. long stalks; ovary cylindrical and beaked, slightly hairy, 8–13 mm. long, 2.5–4 mm. across; receptacle-tube 4 mm. long, slightly constricted about the middle; lobes triangular, 1.5 mm. long; petals 6–7.5 mm. long, 3.5–4 mm. broad.. Fruit on a 30 mm. long stalk, ovoid, shortly and bluntly beaked, depressed at attachment of stalk, obscurely ribbed, shortly and sparsely hispid, fleshy, 28 mm. long, 18 mm. across.. Seeds asymmetrically ovate in outline, 8 × 5 × 3.5 mm.
Home