A rhizomatous trailing or climbing perennial herb to over 2 m in length, sparingly pubescent.Stipules 2–4 mm long, lanceolate.Petioles 0.7–3 cm long.Leaves 3-foliolate; median leaflet simple, 2–6 × 0.5–2 cm, elliptic-ovate to elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, obtuse or acute at the apex, serrate to subentire, lateral nerves in 9–14 pairs; lateral leaflets asymmetrically 2-lobed, the inner lobe 1–5 cm long, the outer 0.5–2.5 cm long, or else the outer lobe scarcely developed, or leaves ± 5-partite; base of leaf deeply cordate, with a pair of minute subulate glandular stipels near the apex of the petiole; leaf blades sparingly pubescent chiefly along the midribs and main veins beneath and on the margins.Inflorescences axillary; peduncles 2–11 cm long; bract stipules resembling the foliar stipules; bracts 0.7–2 × 0.7–2 cm, ovate in outline, the abaxial slightly larger than the adaxial, 3-lobed or sometimes 5-lobed, the lobes triangular or lanceolate, acute, slightly serrate or subentire, truncate to shallowly cordate at the base, 7-nerved from the base, pubescent along the nerves without, ± glabrous within, yellowish-green to creamy-white.Male peduncles 1.5 mm long; involucre 6 mm across, 7-flowered; mass of fused bracts and aborted flowers adaxial, flattened.Male flowers: pedicels 2 mm long; calyx lobes 5, 2 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, subglabrous; stamens c. 20–25.Female bracts 4, very unequal, the adaxial 2.5 × 2.5 mm, suborbicular, the abaxial 3 × 4 mm, 2-lobed, the lateral bracts 2 × 1 mm, oblong, all ciliate.Female flowers subsessile or pedicels very short, but extending to 3–5 mm in fruit; sepals 9–11, sepal rhachis 1.5 mm long, extending to 6–7(10) mm in fruit, linear, lateral lobules 2–5 pairs, eglandular, pubescent and with urticating hairs; ovary 1 mm in diameter, pubescent; stylar column 4–5 mm long, dilated and excavated at the apex.Fruit 4 × 8 mm, smooth, sparingly pubescent, reddish-brown or blackish.Seeds 3.5 × 3 mm, ± smooth, brownish, streaked and mottled with pale grey.
