A high-climbing liane to 5 m. or more with soft, fragile stems.. Twigs 7–10 mm. thick, pinkish grey, lenticillate, cicatricose.. Young growth densely fulvous-ferruginous-pubescent.. Leaves falling before flowering.. Petioles (5–)7–6(–18) cm. long, slightly pulvinate at the base, sparingly pubescent; petiolar glands small, sessile, discoid; leaf-blades broadly ovate to suborbicular, (6–)10–16 cm. long, (6–)12–18 cm. wide, subacute to abruptly shortly acutely acuminate, deeply cordate with a narrow sinus, 7–9-nerved from the base, the median nerve with 3–6 pairs of lateral nerves in the upper half, not or scarcely prominent above, slightly so beneath, densely pubescent above and ± tomentose beneath when young, later very sparingly pubescent above and evenly to sparingly so beneath, bright green above, somewhat paler beneath.. Stipules narrowly triangular, 1.5–2 mm. long, acute, pubescent.. Inflorescences paniculate, 20–50 cm. long and 10–20 cm. wide; peduncle 2–3 cm. long; axes evenly to densely fulvous-ferruginous pubescent or tomentose; bracts linear-oblanceolate, 2–3(–5) cm. long, 2–3(–7) mm. wide, subacute or obtuse, sparingly to evenly pubescent.. Male flowers: pedicels 1.5 mm. long; 3 outer sepals elliptic, 3 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, thickened, densely pubescent without, glabrous within, 2 inner sepals ovate, 3(–4) mm. long, 2(–3) mm. wide, thin, evenly pubescent without at the base, otherwise glabrous, brownish without, dark red within; disc present, minute, annular; staminal column ± 1 mm. high, peltate synandrium 1.5 mm. diameter, anther-thecae 0.5–0.7 mm. long.. Female flowers: sepals broadly ovate-orbicular, 2–2.5 mm. long, otherwise resembling those of ♂; ovary ovoid-ellipsoid, 5 mm. long.. Young fruit somewhat compressed-ovoid-subglobose, usually 2-lobed by abortion, 3.5–4 cm. long, 3–3.5 cm. diameter, apiculate, slightly grooved and ridged, otherwise ± smooth, evenly fulvous-pubescent, yellowish.. Mature seeds not known.. Fig. 69.
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