Climbing shrub or liane (3–)5–9(–15) m. long or tall; young stems ± quadrangular, glabrous or sparsely pilose; axillary hooks opposite, equal or unequal, arranged in decussate pairs; stems in some variants with myrmecodomatia.. Leaf-blades elliptic, (3.5–)5–12(–15) cm. long, (1–)2.5–6 cm. wide, acuminate at the apex, rounded to cuneate at the base, drying reddish, glabrous or pilose beneath on venation when young; petiole 0.5–1 cm. long, glabrous or pilose; stipules often red, joined at the base, puberulous or pilose near the base, persistent on unarmed shoots but very deciduous on the flowering branches.. Inflorescences scented, terminal, solitary, 4–6 cm. in diameter, sometimes also with 2–4 axillary inflorescences in pairs beneath; peduncles 1–4 cm. long; pedicels obsolete or 2–3 mm. long, golden pubescent.. Calyx-lobes variable, short to distinct and triangular, 0.5–3 mm. long; calyx-tube 1.5–3 mm. long the free part of the tube an additional 2–3.5 mm. tall.. Corolla white to yellowish with dense golden or ochraceous adpressed bristly pubescence outside; tube 0.8–1.5 cm. long, narrow, the lower part 0.6–1 mm. wide; lobes oblong, 2.5–4 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, with an axial evanescent line of internal pubescence.. Style green, 1.4–2 cm. long including the sausage-shaped stigma, up to 4.5 mm. long.. Fruiting heads up to 10 cm. in diameter; capsules fusiform 1.15–2.5 cm. long, 4–6 mm. wide, 10-ribbed, pubescent, the accrescent pedicels 1–2.5 cm. long; dehiscence of capsule septicidal and ± also loculicidal into 2, 2-lobed valves, ochraceous, shining inside.. Seeds brown, trigonous, the nucleus ± 0.4 mm. long with reticulate testa; wings of seed ribbon-like, 3–4 mm. long, 1 on one side, 2 on the other.
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