Perennial climber to 6 m long, leafy stem 2(-3) mm diam., subglabrous or hairy. Probract usually present. Tendrils spiralling throughout their length or only in the upper part. Leaves: petiole 3-6 cm long, finely hairy or subglabrous; blade simple, ovate, 6-10 by 4-9 cm, upper surface appressed-hairy, scabrous by cystoliths, lower surface hairy or subglabrous, base deeply cordate, margin coarsely or finely dentate. Male inflorescence a 5-10 cm long peduncled bracteate raceme (sometimes with a previously developed solitary flower at base), sparsely minutely pubescent; peduncle 2-5 cm long, at or close to the base with a rhombiform or subelliptic (5-)10 mm long irregularly incised probract; flower bracts conspicuous, close together, in older inflorescences the rachis thickened by the scars of fallen flowers and bracts; bracts obovate or obtriangular, 10-15 mm long, in the apical half (irregularly) dentate or incised to c. 1/4 deep. Male flowers: pedicel c. 10 mm long; receptacle-tube obliquely cup-shaped, tapering, 3-4 mm diam., throat short-hairy; sepals long-triangular or narrowly elliptic, 8-12 by 3-5 mm, acute, 3(-5-)veined, sometimes reflexed; petals obovate-elliptic, 15-20 by c. 15 mm, apex rounded and faintly dentate; filaments 3-5 mm long, ± curved, ± dilated towards the base, anthers 3-5 mm long, slightly curved, the median(?) petal with conspicuous curved scale, c. 4 mm long, concealing the disc at base of the receptacle-tube; disc inserted slightly laterally, large, ellipsoid, c. 4 mm long. Female flowers: solitary; pedicel 10-40 mm long, with probract at or near base; perianth as in male flowers; ovary ovoid-ellipsoid, densely woolly grey-hairy, c. 10 mm long; style-column c. 2 mm long, arms 4-5 mm long, stigmas broadly reniform, each c. 3 mm diam.; staminodes c. 1.5 mm long, erect, disc not obvious. Fruit solitary; narrowly ellipsoid, (2-)3-6 by 2-2.5 cm, broadly rounded at both ends, sparsely or densely bristly hairy, outer surface fenestrately pitted in c. 15 rows; fruiting pedicel 1.5-4 cm long. Seeds ovoid, 5-6 mm long, somewhat flattened, rugose, edge shallowly 2-grooved.
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Vines, climbing, herbaceous, pubescent. Stems much branched, robust, angular-sulcate. Petiole slender, 4-10(-12) cm; leaf blade ovate-cordate, 8-15 × 6-11 cm, membranous or papery, adaxially scabrous, pubescent, or with setae on an enlarged base, veins densely pubescent, both surfaces densely pale yellow pubescent, basal vein along margin of base of blade, base cordate, margin irregularly dentate, apex acuminate or shortly so; sinus at base often open, sometimes closed, 1-3 cm deep, 0.5-2 cm wide. Tendrils simple, pubescent at first, glabrescent. Male flowers: 3 to several in dense short raceme; peduncle robust, 4-15 cm, pubescent; bracts imbricate, flabelliform, 1.5-2 cm, both surfaces pubescent; pedicels slender, ca. 5 mm; calyx tube campanulate, 5-6 mm, 5-partite; segments linear, ca. 10 × 1 mm, 1-veined, apex caudate-acuminate; corolla segments ovate or elliptic, ca. 17 × 7 mm, apex shortly acuminate or acute; filaments ca. 4 mm; rudimentary ovary semiglobose. Female flowers solitary; calyx and corolla as in male flowers; ovary oblong, base obtuse, pubescent; styles 3-fid; stigmas enlarged, reniform, 2-lobed. Fruit oblong, 3-5 × 2-3 cm, with scabrous rind, slightly pubescent, with 10 longitudinal striae, obtuse at both ends. Seeds broadly ovate, 4-5 × 3-3.5 mm, ca. 2 mm thick, reticulate. Fl. and fr. May-Nov.
A vine. It is a climbing plant. It is hairy. The stems are robust, branched and angular. The leaves are oval or heart shaped and 8-15 cm long by 6-11 cm wide. It has simple tendrils. Male flowers occur as 3 or more together and female flowers occur singly. The fruit are oblong and 3-5 cm long by 2-3 cm wide.
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