Paullinia asiatica Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 365. 1753, typ. cons.; Aralia labordei H. Léveillé; Toddalia asiatica var. floribunda (Wallich) Kurz; T. asiatica var. gracilis Gamble; T. asiatica var. obtusifolia Gamble; T. floribunda Wallich; T. tonkinensis Guillaumin.

Shrubs (usually sprawling) or woody climbers, usually armed. Petiole 1-4 cm; leaflet blades usually sessile or subsessile, elliptic or narrowly elliptic to obovate to oblanceolate, 3-10 × 1-4 cm, base narrowly cuneate to attenuate, apex acuminate or rarely acute to obtuse or rounded. Inflorescences to 17 cm. Sepals 0.3-0.5 mm. Petals cream-white, ovate to elliptic, 1-3.5 mm. Stamens in male flowers 3-4 mm, in female flowers ligulate and 0.2-0.8 mm. Disk 0.2-0.5 mm. Gynoecium in female flowers ovoid to ellipsoid and 1.5-2.5 mm, in male flowers subcylindric and 1-2 mm. Fruit 5-10 mm in diam. Seeds 5-6.5 mm. Fl. year-round but mostly in spring and summer, fr. autumn and winter.

Secondary forests, thickets; near sea level to 2000 m. Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Africa, Madagascar].