Compilation
Diplocyclos palmatus

Perennial climber to 6 m.; rootstock fleshy; young stems herbaceous, glabrous, becoming thickened and white-dotted on the ridges when older. Leaf-blade broadly ovate-cordate in outline, glabrous except for a few forward-pointing aculei on the nerves beneath, gland-dotted just above the base, 38–140 mm. long, 40–148 mm. broad, palmately (3–)5(–7)-lobed; lobes linear-lanceolate to long-elliptic, usually distinctly narrowed below, entire or especially in the upper parts sinuate or subserrate with apiculate teeth, acuminate, obtuse to acute and apiculate; petiole 18–80 mm. long, armed with a few forward-curving fairly stout aculeate hairs. Probracts spathulate, hooded, ± 3 mm. long. Male flowers 2–8 in sessile clusters, intermixed with 0–4 ♀ flowers; pedicels 7–15 mm. long; receptacle-tube 2.5–4 mm. long; lobes subulate or filiform, 0.5–1.3 mm. long; corolla white, cream or pale or greenish yellow, with lobes 6–9 mm. long, 2.5–5 mm. broad, united below. Female flowers 1–5, mixed with 0–8 ♂ flowers; pedicels 1–5 mm. long; ovary ellipsoid, 4.5–5 mm. long, 2.5–3.5 mm. across, deep green with longitudinal rows of white markings; receptacle-tube 1.5–2.5 mm. long, flared above; lobes subulate, 1 mm. long; corolla-lobes ± 5 mm. long and 3 mm. broad, united below. Fruits solitary or in clusters of 2–5 on 1–5 mm. long stalks, bright scarlet with silver-white longitudinal stripes or lines of mottlings, subglobose or (but not in Africa) ovoid-ellipsoid, 16–22 mm. long, 14–24 mm. across. Seeds 5 × 2.5–2.8 × 4 mm.