Plants tuberous or not; tubers, when present, buried just below ground surface, not stalked, globose, weighing less than 1 kg. Stems twining counter-clockwise, climbing to more than 20 m, often flecked with purple, unwinged or rarely narrowly winged, terete, producing axillary bulbils frequently greater than 5 cm in diam. in leaf axils. Leaves alternate throughout, 5–25 × 5–26 cm; petiole usually somewhat shorter than blade, base clasping, basal lobes stipulelike, 1–4 mm wide; blade 5–11-veined, broadly ovate-cordate, glabrous, base orbicular, margins entire, apex long-acuminate. Staminate inflorescences axillary, borne singly, spicate or paniculate, cymose, to 70 cm; cymes reduced to 1 sessile bracteolate flower, internodes ca. 2 mm; secondary axes to 6 per node, fasciculate, subtended by deltate bracteoles or sometimes leafy bracts, 3–20 cm. Pistillate inflorescences borne singly or fasciculate, to 6 per axil, spicate; spikes bearing to 50 flowers, 6–40 cm, subopposite to 8 mm apart. Staminate flowers fragrant; perianth white, becoming purple; tepals in 2 similar whorls, spreading at anthesis, lanceolate, (1–)2–5 mm; fertile stamens 6 in 2 equal whorls; anthers as long as or longer than filaments; thecae distinct, not spreading. Pistillate flowers: perianth greenish white, not changing color; tepals as in staminate flowers; staminodes 6, smaller than fertile stamens. Capsules not reflexed at maturity, longer than wide, 1.8–2.8 × 1–1.5 cm. Seeds unilaterally winged, 12–20 mm. 2n = 80, 100.
