Climber to 6 m, sparsely to densely short-hairy. Leaves spirally arranged or distichous, rarely sub-opposite (in extra-Mal mostly subopposite), entire (very rarely faintly 3-lobed), mostly (sub) coriaceous, glossy above, dull pale green, densely velutinous to (sub)glabrous beneath, lanceolate (in juvenile shoots) to elliptic or ovate, top acute to obtuse or rounded, sometimes retuse or up to 1 cm acuminate, base obtuse to (sub)cordate, 5-16 by (1-)1½-10 cm, pinninerved; nerves 3-8 pairs; petiole ¾-3 cm. Glands on lamina (in Mal.) 2-5 pairs, ½-2 mm ø; petiolar glands 2, 1-3 mm ø, always in the upper half of the petiole. Stipules c. 1 mm. Inflorescences sessile, (2-)4-10(-15)-flowered, with a central tendril, the two lateral partial inflorescences up to 1 cm stalked; pedicels ½-2½ cm; bracts and bracteoles linear, acute, mostly hairy, 2-6 mm. Tendrils 5-20(-25) cm. Flowers pubescent to subglabrous outside, 3-4½ cm ø; stipe 5-20(-25) mm; hypanthium saucer-shaped, 2-3 by 6-9 mm. Sepals lanceolate(-triangular), subacute to obtuse, 10-20 by 4-6 mm. Petals lanceolate, obtuse, (sub)entire, 10-18 by 2-5 mm. Corona double, outer corona consisting of a rather dense row of filaments 10-18 mm and a somewhat lower inserted row of short filaments 1-3 mm, inner corona a rather stiff, densely plicate 'collar' 1½-2 by 1½-2½ mm, with finely serrate-laciniate edge, curving inward towards a low fleshy rim-like disk ¼-½ mm high. Androgynophore 5-10 mm. Filaments ± subulate, (5-)6-10 mm; anthers ellip-tic(-oblong), obtuse, 3-4½(-5) by 1½-2 mm. Ovary (sub) sessile, globose to ellipsoid, glabrous to densely hairy, 2-4 by 1½-3 mm; styles 3, 5-8 mm; stigmas (½-)1 mm ø. Fruits 1-3 per inflorescence, globose to ellipsoid, 2-3 by 1½-2½ cm, glabrous or hairy; pericarp coriaceous, c. 1 mm ø. Seeds c. 30-50, suborbicular to obovoid, 3½-4½ by 3-4 by 1½ mm, 7-9 small pits per ø.
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