Glabrous, or slighdy asperulous (Halmahera), twiner, up to 5 m. Roots tuberous. Leaves alternate; blade ovate or broadly ovate 6-18 by 2-12 cm, base cuneate to deeply cordate, nerves 7-11; petiole 1.5-6 cm long. Inflorescence sessile or subsessile, (1-or) few-many-flowered, bracts parchment-like 1.5-3 mm long, imbricately arranged and finally forming a pseudo-peduncle up to 1.5 cm long. Flowers: pedicel 1-4 cm long; tepals dark purple or purple-brown, 8-12 by 2-4 mm. Stamens purple or dark brown, c. 8 mm long; anthers 2-2.5 mm long, the thecae separated by a c. 1 mm high, wing-like ridge; appendix of thecae 0.5-1.5 mm long, fused at the tips, or appendix staminode-like, c. 1 mm long, not fused. Fruit 15-35 by c. 10 mm, beak c. 4 mm, 3-7-seeded. Seeds elongate, rounded at the apex, 5-16 by 2-4 mm, funicle c. 6 mm long, with an aril consisting of many translucent, hollow, finger-like appendages, reaching to the base of the seed.