a scandent undershrub; stems slender, pubescent, twining, springing from a woody base, 6–8 ft. long; leaves distinctly petioled, firmly membranous, simple, deeply 3-partite with occasionally a pair of much smaller basal lobes superadded, lobes ovate, acute, their margin shortly serrate, base deep-cordate, 2 1/2–3 1/2 in. long, 3–4 in. wide, somewhat polished and very minutely pubescent on both surfaces; petiole pubescent or glabrous, 1–2 1/2 in. long; stipules lanceolate, spreading, minutely pubescent, 2 in. long; heads peduncled; peduncles minutely pubescent, 1–3 in. long; involucral bracts large, yellowish-green, 1 1/2 in. long, 1 1/2–1 3/4 in. wide, deep-cordate, both rather shallowly 3-lobed; lobes acute, their margin finely toothed; male bracts entire; male calyx glabrous, lobes ovate, acute; female calyx-segments linear-lanceolate, densely pinnately lacinulate on each side, lacinulæ slender, glandular, scabrous; ovary puberulous; style columnar, cylindric, entire, not dilated at the tip; capsule nearly glabrous, 1/3 in. across; cocci subglobose; seeds globose. null