Shrub, climbing; stems 20–30 ft. high. Leaves nearly sessile or long-petioled on the same branch, ovate-oblong, caudate-acuminate, base wide-cuneate, margin remotely serrate, thinly coriaceous, 4–10 in. long, 1 3/4–4 in. wide, somewhat shining above, glabrous on both surfaces; secondary nerves 8–10 pairs, raised beneath, looping within the margin; petiole slightly pulvinate at the base, distinctly pulvinate and geniculate at the apex, 1 1/2–2 1/4 in. long, or at times reduced to the apical pulvinus and then only 1–2 lin. long. Racemes axillary, 6–8-flowered, peduncled; males 3/4–1 in., females 1 1/2 in. long; peduncles 1/3 in. long; pedicels distinctly thickened upwards, almost fleshy, males 1/4 in., females 1/2 in. long. Male: sepals 5, free, strongly imbricate, ovate-oblong, obtuse. Stamens 18, almost sessile; anthers 2-celled, dehiscence longitudinal. Rudimentary ovary 0. Female: Calyx 6-partite; segments ovate, obtuse. Disk urceolate. Ovary 3-celled, glabrous; style thick; stigmas 3, free, stout. Capsule 3-celled, 4/5 in. across; cocci subglobose, opening loculicidally from the base. Seed large, globose, 1/2 in. across; testa smooth, mottled externally, spongy; embryo very small, cotyledons broad, flat.
