Morphological Description

Plants high climbing, sparsely branched. Branches: bark exfoliating in shreds; nodal diaphragms 0.5–2.5 mm thick; branchlets terete, densely tomentose to arachnoid-floccose or glabrous, sometimes with spinose, gland-tipped hairs, growing tips not enveloped by unfolding leaves; tendrils along length of branchlets, persistent, branched, tendrils (or inflorescences) at almost all nodes; nodes not red-banded. Leaves: stipules 2–4 mm; petiole ± equaling blade; blade cordate, usually 3-shouldered, sometimes unlobed or deeply 3(–5)-lobed, 10–20 cm, apex usually acute, abaxial surface not glaucous, densely and persistently arachnoid, concealed (except sometimes veins) by hairs, adaxial surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Inflorescences 6–14 cm. Flowers functionally unisexual. Berries black, usually not, sometimes slightly, glaucous, globose, 12+ mm diam., skin separating from pulp; lenticels absent.