Large succulent climbing shrubs or deciduous vines about 15-25 m long. Stem striate, with scattered lenticels which are often 4 fid, fleshy, puberulous and green when young, later membranous and glabrous, with long aerial roots. Leaves simple, alternate, broadly ovate, orbicular or subrotund, 7-16 x 4.5-12 cm across, base subcordate or abruptly truncate, margin entire, apex suddenly acutely acuminate, chartaceous, membranous, thin, green, sparingly pubescent above, paler pilose with glandular patches beneath, strong basal veins 5-7, impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral veins 1-2 pairs, veinlets fine and close, petiole puberulous, about 4-12 cm long. Inflorescence axillary on old leafless stems, slender, pseudo-racemose cymes, usually appearing when the deciduous plant is leafless, about 3-12 cm long, pedunculate. Flowers unisexual, greenish yellow, pedicellate. Male flowers, pedicels slender, glabrous about 3-4 mm long, sepals 6, in 2 series, inner series larger, elliptic, apex obtuse, about 3-5 x 2-5 mm long, outer series smaller, about 1-1.5 mm long, free, imbricate, ovate, apex obtuse, petals 6, free, rhomboidal-ovate, 3-5 x 1-3 cm across, stamens 6, free, filaments clavate, about 3 mm long, anthers loculed, subextrorse, obliquely or longitudinally dehisced. Female flowers, pedicels about 4-10 mm long, sepals and petals similar as in male flowers, staminodes 6 about 1 mm long, carpels 3, ellipsoid, about 1.5-2 mm long, glabrous, style short, stigma lobed. Fruits drupes, obovoid or ellipsoid, glabrous, shining, bright orange or scarlet red when ripe, about 8-15 mm across, carpophores about 2-3 mm long, stalks about 8-10 mm long, pericarp thin, style scar subterminal, endocarp bony, very thin, subrotund or broadly elliptic about 7-9 x 5-6 mm across, tuberculate with small aperture. Seeds curved, endospermic, cotyledons flattened, radicle short.
