Perennial climber to 8(-30) m long, with one or few green stems somewhat carnose-woody at base, either slightly thickened, or base flask-or spindle-shaped, swollen, lower portion of main stem with ± hard green thorns 1-2(-4) cm long, apical shoots puberulous, glabrescent, with raised leaf scars; dioecious. Tendrils on innovation shoots, mostly caducous. Leaves: petiole 2-5 cm long; petiolules 0.3-2 cm long; blade membranous (slightly fleshy when fresh), green on drying, (simple or) 3-or (pedately) 5-foliolate, 5-15(-20) cm diam., leaflets elliptic or (ob)ovate, apex roundish or acute, minutely acuminate, the middle leaflet largest, to 11(-15) by 7(-10) cm, glands absent. Male inflorescences paniculate, with numerous flowers, 8-20(-40) cm long, once or twice branched, ultimate branches raceme-like, pubescent, hairs c. 1 mm long; bracts minute, c. 1 mm long, lower bracts 3-foliolate, larger, hairy. Male flowers: pedicel c. 1.5 mm long, glabrous; perianth rotate, 2.5-3.5 mm diam., sparsely pubescent; receptacle shallow, c. 1 mm wide; sepals ovate-acute, c. 0.5 mm long; petals broadly ovate, acute, c. 1 mm long; filaments glabrous, fused into a partly hollow column c. 0.7 mm long, free parts c. 0.3 mm long, anthers broadly ellipsoid, c. 0.3 mm long, dark spot not obvious. Female inflorescences as in male, (widely) paniculate, 10-30 cm long, flowers ultimately in racemes. Female flowers: see under subsp. podagrica. Fruit many per infructescence, 1.5-2.5 by 0.7-0.9 cm, pubescent, glabrescent, base ± attenuate or rounded, apex truncate with minute style-remnants; fruiting pedicel 0.2-0.7 cm long, glabrous or pubescent. Seeds c. 15, obovate, 4-5 by 3-3.5 mm, base attenuate, finely or coarsely rugulose-warted, margin double 5-7-toothed or-tuberculate, wing 6-8 mm long.
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