Stems climbing, to 3 m. Petiole 1--3 cm; leaf blade lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 10--20 × 1.5--6 cm, subglabrous or pubescent on both surfaces, apex acuminate. Panicles with peduncle ca. 10 cm, subglabrous or pubescent; involucral bracts ovate-orbicular, 4--10 cm. Pedicels absent. Sepals ca. 6 mm, subglabrous or pubescent. Petals purple or white, slightly shorter than sepals. Ovary cylindric, glabrous. Capsule ovoid, trigonous, beaked at apex. Seeds 6--8 per valve, brown-black. Fl. Jun--Aug, fr. Jul--Sep.