Morphological Description

Plants usually high climbing, sometimes sprawling and ± shrubby when without support, sparsely branched. Branches: bark tardily exfoliating in shreds; nodal diaphragms 1–2 mm thick; branchlets terete, densely tomentose to glabrate, 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 3–6 mm; petiole 1/2 blade; blade cordate, 5–15 cm, usually 3-shouldered to shallowly 3-lobed, apex acute to short acuminate, abaxial surface not glaucous, moderately to densely arachnoid, visible through hairs, veins hirtellous, adaxial surface sparsely to moderately arachnoid. Inflorescences 4–10 cm. Flowers functionally unisexual. Berries black, heavily glaucous, globose, 12+ mm diam., skin separating from pulp; lenticels absent.