Erect, clonal shrub to 3 m, male or female, green, lower leaf-surface densely pubescent with stellate hairs, upper surface almost glabrous; prickles to 8 mm long, sparse to common on calyx of bisexual flower, sparse to absent elsewhere. Leaves elliptic to ovate-elliptic; lamina 9–18 cm long, 3–7 cm wide, sometimes larger, discolorous, entire to shallowly lobed; petiole 1–2 cm long sometimes to 6 cm. Male plant: inflorescence elongate, 40–60-flowered; peduncle 3.5–5 cm long; pedicels 5–8 mm long; calyx somewhat 2–lipped, 3–5 mm long, the lobes triangular, 1–3 mm long; corolla broadly stellate, 25–30 mm diam., purple; anthers 5–6 mm long. Female plant: flowers solitary; pedicels 10–15 mm long; calyx 10–15 mm long, angular, enlarged in fruit, the lobes narrowly triangular with linear apices, 5–10 mm long; corolla rotate, 40–60 mm diam., lobes with linear apices 2–7 mm long, purple-blue; anthers 6–8 mm long. Berry globular, 2–3 cm diam., shining green when ripe, drying black. Fruiting calyx 2–3 cm diam. Seeds 2.5–3 mm long, light to dark brown.
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