A woody scrambler over bushes; stems nearly 10m. long, aculeate with prickles recurved and swollen at the base, otherwise nearly glabrous or with longitudinal lines or areas of crisped pubescence. Leaf-lamina 3–12 × 2–15 cm., ovate to broadly suborbicular in outline, usually nearly glabrous except for prickles on the nerves of the under surface but sometimes fairly densely stellate-pubescent (Pedro & Pedrógão 4057), usually 3–5-lobed (rarely not lobed), lobes acute, margin irregularly serrate, sinuses acute, base 5–7-nerved, midrib (and often the 2 adjacent nerves) with a longitudinal fissure up to 3 mm. long near the base; petiole up to 7·5 cm. long, hairy like the young stems; stipules 6–7 mm. long, acicular or filiform. Flowers up to 10 cm. in diam., yellow or terracotta, sometimes with a dark centre, solitary, axillary; peduncle 1–6 cm. long. Epicalyx of about 7 bracts; bracts c. 15 mm. long, forked, the outer branch somewhat reflexed. Calyx 2–3 cm. long; lobes 13–22 × 6–10 mm., lanceolate, acute, joined at the base for 4–10 mm., setose on the midrib and margins, transversely ribbed in fruit. Petals up to 6 × 5 cm., obovate. Staminal tube c. 14 mm. long; free parts of filaments 0·5–1 mm. long. Style-branches 4–5 mm. long. Capsule 20 × 18 mm., densely appressed-setose. Seeds 4 × 3 mm., subreniform, with whitish irregularly discoid scales 0·1–0·2 mm. in diam.
