Scandent shrub or climber up to 5 m. long.. Young branches reddish-brown, very sparsely pilose; older bark grey-brown, flaking in longitudinal patches.. Leaf-blade obovate, 11 (–15.5) cm. long, 4(–6.5) cm. wide, shortly acuminate to apiculate, broadly cuneate, crenate to serrate, concolorous, glabrous when mature, very sparsely pilose, mainly beneath and towards base in young leaves; secondary veins 7–13 pairs, slightly to not impressed above, prominent beneath and ± parallel; tertiary veins reticulate and slightly prominent beneath; petiole short, up to 2–3(–5) mm. long, glabrous to very sparsely pilose.. Inflorescence a raceme terminal on new leafy shoots; flowers few, white, sweet-scented; peduncle 1–2 cm. long and pedicels up to 10 mm. long, sparsely pilose.. Sepals 4–5, broadly obovate, up to 14 mm. long, 10 mm. wide, coriaceous, adpressed pubescent outside, glabrous to glabrescent inside, persistent in fruit.. Petals 4–5, ± broadly obovate, 1.7–2.0 cm. long, 1.1–1.3 cm. wide, usually emarginate, glabrous, imbricate, caducous.. Stamen-filaments up to 6 mm. long, thickened towards apex; anther-thecae divergent at their base.. Carpels 3–4, densely hirsute; ovules few per carpel; placentation parietal; styles free, filamentous.. Fruiting carpels obovoid, slightly keeled, up to 1.7 cm. long, 1.5 cm. wide, bearing remains of persistent style, slightly hirsute.. Seeds up to 5 per carpel, black, shiny; aril fimbriate, up to 8 mm. long, yellowish.. Fig. 1/1–3, p. 2.
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