Suberect herb or woody climber 0·2–2 m., arising from a tuberous turnip-like rootstock. Stems annual or perennial, greyish-purple. Leaf-lamina 2–15 × 0·2–2 (6) cm., obovate to linear, subacute to obtuse or retuse, sometimes curved at the apex, margin entire or irregularly repand to lobed, acute to subcordate at the base, membranous to coriaceous, greyish-glaucous, sometimes punctate beneath, penninerved, the nerves 4–10-paired, sometimes brownish-red, prominent beneath and interlocking, the reticulation ± conspicuous; petiole 0·1–1 cm. long. Glands of the lamina-base 2, 1–1·5 mm. in diameter, situated on each side of the base of the midrib; lamina-glands 0–10, 0·5–1 mm. in diameter, submarginal and one apical at the top of the midrib. Stipules 1–1·5 mm. long, narrowly triangular, acute. Sterile tendrils simple, up to 5 cm. long. Cymes sessile or with a peduncle up to 2 cm. long, 1–5-flowered in male 1–2(3)-flowered in hermaphrodite and female bracts and bracteoles 1–2·5(10) mm. long, narrowly triangular; tendrils (0)1, up to 4 cm. long. Flowers polygamous or dioecious. male flower: 15–24 × 2–5 mm. (incl. the 2–3 mm. long stipe), tubular-infundibuliform, greenish-cream; pedicels 1–5(10) mm. long; hypanthium (incl. calyx-tube) 9–14 mm. long, tubiform; calyx-lobes 4–7·5 mm. long, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, entire; petals 5–8 × 1·5–2 mm., lanceolate, ± obtuse, 1–3-nerved, entire or dentate-fimbriate towards the apex, inserted near the throat of the calyx-tube; corona 0; stamen-filaments 3·5–6 mm. long, free, inserted at c. the middle of the calyx-tube; anthers 4–6 × 0·75–1 mm., obtuse; disk-glands 0; vestigial ovary 0·5–1 mm. (incl. the gynophore) long. hermaphrodite flower: 10–15 × 3–5·5 mm. (incl. the 1–4 mm. long stipe), tubular-campanulate; pedicel 1–3(10) mm. long; hypanthium and calyx-tube 4–5 mm. long; calyx-lobes 4–6·5 mm. long, oblong to lanceolate, obtuse, entire; petals 2–4middot;5 × 0·33–1·2 mm., lanceolate, obtuse or acute, 1–3-nerved, dentate towards the apex, inserted 3–5 mm. above the base of the hypanthium; corona 0; stamens with the filaments c. 3 mm. long, free, inserted 0·5–2 mm. above the base of the hypanthium and anthers 4–4·5 × 0·75 mm., obtuse; disk-glands 0; pistil 7–9 mm. long; gynophore 3–3·5 mm. long; ovary 3–4 × 2·5 mm., ovate to ellipsoid; styles connate at the base, with the arms 0·5–0·75 mm. long, ending in subglobular papillate stigmas. female flower: 8–11 × 3–4 mm. (incl. the c. 1 mm. long stipe), tubular-campanulate; pedicel 1–2 mm. long; hypanthium and calyx-tube 3·5–5 mm. long; calyx-lobes 3–5 mm. long, oblong to lanceolate, obtuse, entire; petals 1·5–2 × 0·75 mm., lanceolate, obtuse or acute, l(3)-nerved, entire, inserted 2·5–3·5 mm. above the base of the hypanthium; corona 0; staminodes 2–3 mm. long, free, sometimes with abortive anthers, inserted near the base of the hypanthium; disk-glands 0; pistil 7–8 mm. long; gynophore c. 2 mm. long; ovary 2·5–3 × 2 mm., ellipsoid; styles connate at the base, the arms c. 0·5 mm. long, ending in subglobular, papillate stigmas. Capsule 1·5–2·5(3) × 1·25–2·5 cm., subglobular, with smooth coriaceous pericarp, (2)5–12-seeded. Seeds 7–8 × 7 × 3 mm., suborbicular to broadly ovate, pitted.
