Morphological Description

Plants high climbing, sparsely branched. Branches: bark exfoliating in plates; nodal diaphragms 1.5–3 mm thick; branchlets terete to slightly angled, tomentose, tomentum usually persistent, growing tips not enveloped by unfolding leaves; tendrils along length of branchlets, persistent, branched, tendrils (or inflorescences) at only 2 consecutive nodes; nodes not red-banded. Leaves: stipules usually 3.5+ mm; petiole 1/2 to ± equaling blade; blade cordate, 5–10 cm, usually unlobed, sometimes 3-shouldered, rarely shallowly 3-lobed, apex acute to short acuminate, abaxial surface not glaucous, moderately to densely tomentose, visible through hairs, adaxial surface sparsely to moderately tomentose, glabrescent. Inflorescences 8–18 cm. Flowers functionally unisexual. Berries dark purple to black, slightly or not glaucous, globose, 4–6 mm diam., skin separating from pulp; lenticels absent.