Climbers dioecious. Stems black when dry, ridged, usually hispidulous. Petiole 1-2 cm, hispidulous, prophylls 1/4-1/3 as long as petioles; leaf blades ovate-lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, rarely those toward base of stem ovate, 5-14 × 2-6.5 cm, papery, abaxially hispidulous, sometimes glabrescent, drying grayish, adaxially glabrous, base rounded to shortly tapered, basal leaves often slightly cordate, symmetric to slightly oblique, apex acuminate; veins 5-7, apical pair arising 1-1.5 cm above base, alternate or ± opposite, others basal. Spikes leaf-opposed. Male spikes more than 2 × as long as leaf blades; peduncle 2.5-3 × as long as petioles, pubescent; rachis sparsely pubescent; bracts orbicular, 1-1.2 mm wide, peltate, ± sessile. Stamens 3; anthers reniform. Female spikes 1.5-3 cm, to 6 cm in fruit; peduncle 2-4.2 cm, pubescent; rachis and bracts as in male spikes; bract stalk not elongated in fruit, sparsely pubescent. Ovary distinct, apex sharply pointed; stigmas 3 or 4, linear. Drupe subglobose, ca. 3 mm in diam., ± tuberculate. Fl. Feb-Jun.
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