Woody climber up to 10 m., with strong, ± terete, fibrous, not knobbly stems. Fertile branches ± pruinose, the internodes 5–15 cm. long. Leaf-laminas 4–13 × 3–12 cm., entire or 3–5(7)-lobed, the lobes obtuse, orbicular to ovate, acute at the apex with acumen 3–5 mm. long, entire at the margin, ± deeply cordate or rarely truncate at the base membranous, brown or blackish when dry, with 5(10) main nerves from the base or penninerved with 3–5 pairs of nerves and distinct reticulation; petiole 0·5–6 cm. long. Glands of the lamina-base 2, 1–2 mm. in diameter, on 2 auricles 1·5–3 mm. in diameter lateral to the apex of the petiole. Stipules 0·5–1·5 mm. long, oblong, acute. Sterile tendrils up to 20 cm. long. Cymes with peduncles up to 2 cm. long, up to 10-flowered in male, 1–5-flowered in female; pedicel 5–20(35) mm. long in male, 5–15 mm. long in female; tendril 0 or 1, 2–15 cm. long. male flower: 15–22 × (8)10(14) mm. (incl. the 0·5–1·5 mm. long stipe), broadly tubular-campanulate, greenish-yellow; hypanthium 3–5 × (8)10(14) mm.; calyx-tube 4–8 mm. long; calyx-lobes 4–10 mm. long, narrowly triangular, subacute; petals 7–8 × 3–4 mm., spathulate, rounded to subacute at the apex, 3–5-nerved, dentate-fimbriate at the margin, inserted at the level of the corona; corona comprising membranous appendages 0·5(1) mm. long; stamen-filaments 2·5–3 mm. long, shortly connate at the base, inserted at base of hypanthium; anthers 7·5–10 × 1–1·5 mm., obtuse, not apiculate; disk-glands c. 1 mm. long; vestigial ovary c. 1 mm. long incl. gynophore. female flower: similar to the male, (10)15–20 × 7(10) mm. (incl. the 0–1 mm. long stipe); hypanthium 2–3 mm. long; calyx-tube 2–5 mm. long; calyx-lobes 7–14 mm. long, narrowly triangular, acute; petals 5·5–7 × 0·5–1 mm., linear-lanceolate, acute, crenulate-fimbriate towards the apex, 1–3-nerved; staminodes 2–3 mm. long, shortly connate at the base; corona and disk-glands as in the male, gynophore 0·5–1 mm. long; ovary 4–5 × 3·5–4·5 mm., subglobose; styles connate at the base for 1·5–2 mm., with the arms 1·5–2 mm. long; stigmas c. 4 mm. in diameter, subglobular, densely woolly-papillate. Capsule 2·25–3·5(4) × 2–3×5 cm., subglobose, 3-ribbed, greenish turning yellow, blackish when dry, with thick, smooth, coriaceous pericarp 1·5–2·5 mm. thick, 20–45-seeded. Seeds c. 6 × 4·5(5) × 2 mm., ovoid-ellipsoid, pitted.