Herbaceous deciduous vines. Neck of rootstock brown, vertical, new stems from subapical buds, slender, striate, usually glabrous. Petiole 3-10[-13.5] cm or slightly longer, striate; leaf blade usually cordate-oblate in outline, usually shallowly 3-9-lobed, 3-12 × 3-12 cm, papery or submembranous, glaucous abaxially, usually glabrous on both surfaces, sometimes abaxially pubescent, base cordate to subtruncate, margin entire, palmately 9-12-veined, 3-5 veins extending to base and slender, all prominent abaxially. Inflorescences paniculate, solitary or paired, 20-flowered with flowers in mostly sessile, sometimes umbel-like fascicles; peduncle slender, 2-17 cm; bracts ± oblong, almost as long as secondary peduncles; pedicels slender, 5-10 mm. Male flowers: sepals 4-8, membranous, greenish yellow, oblanceolate to obovate-elliptic, 1.4-3.5 mm; petals 6-8 or up to 9-12, fleshy, concave, shortly clawed, 1.5-2.5 mm; stamens 12-18, (0.6-)1.5-3 mm, usually longer than sepals. Female flowers: perianth as in male; staminodes 6-12, ca. 1 mm; carpels inserted on a distinct 0.5-1 mm stalk. Drupes purplish black; endocarp broadly crescent-moon-shaped, ca. 10 mm wide and 8 mm high, base sinuate, ca. 3 mm. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Sep.
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