Woody climber, about 5-12 m, main stem about 1-2 cm ø. Leaves with glabrous petioles 3-19 cm; lamina broadly triangular-ovate to suborbicular (often narrowly triangular-ovate in Luzon), 3.5 —13(—19) by 3-11 (-17) cm, apex acute and usually abruptly acuminate, sometimes gradually narrowing or ob-tuse, base broadly rounded to truncate; margin sometimes revolute; reticulation rather lax, often ob-scure on upper surface, which is often minutely sub-papillose (large convex epidermal cells), both surfaces glabrous; papyraceous to subcoriaceous. Male inflorescence often borne on the older, leafless parts of the stem, but axillary on young shoots, 3 —10(—15) cm long, composed of peduncled umbelliform cymes 1.5-9 cm long, racemosely arranged, papillose-puberulous to glabrous. Male flowers white, yellowish or orange with pedicels up to 3(-4) mm long; sepals 6, glabrous or subglabrous outside, outer 3 ± narrowly oblong, 1.25-1.75 mm, apex obtusely pointed, inner 3 obovate, 1.25-1.5 mm, apex broadly rounded; petals 3, ± broadly obtriangular, c. 0.75 mm long, apical margin membranous, lateral margins sometimes involute, papillose-puberulous inside towards base; synandrium 0.75-1 mm long. Female inflorescence similar to male. Infructescence up to 20 cm or more. Female flowers sessile, asymmetrical; sepals 3, ± elliptic, 0.5 mm long; petals 1-2, broadly obtriangular, scarcely 0.5 mm long, papillose or glabrous within; carpel ± ellipsoidal, 0.75 by 0.5 mm. Drupes red, sessile or subsessile (but ultimate branchlets of inflorescence sometimes look like pedicels), suborbicular to obovate in outline, 6-10 by 6-8 mm. Endocarp perforate, dorsally bearing 4 longitudinal rows of (10—)12—19 trans-versely hooked projections, the 2 inner rows directed inwards and those of the 2 outer rows directed out-wards (rarely the hooks scarcely or not developed).
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