Herbs, climbing, stout; whole plant almost glabrous. Stem and branches smooth, angular-sulcate. Petiole robust, 5-16 cm; leaf blade ovate-cordate or broadly ovate-cordate, 12-20 × 8-12 cm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially scabrous, basal lateral veins not along margin of blade, margin dentate, apex shortly acuminate; basal sinus open or sometimes closed. Tendrils 2-fid. Male flowers: inflorescence racemose or paniculate; rachis slender, 8-12 cm; pedicels filiform, 1-1.5 cm; calyx tube cupular; segments oblong-lanceolate, ca. 5 × 1.5 mm, 3-veined, apex obtuse; corolla segments ovate-oblong, ca. 12 × 5-6 mm, 3-5-veined, apex acute; stamens 4 in pairs and 1 free; filaments ca. 4 mm; anthers elliptic, ca. 2 mm; rudimentary ovary semiglobose, ca. 2 mm in diam., with 3 scales at base; scales yellow, ca. 3 mm. Female flowers solitary, or 2-5 at apex of 1-1.5 cm peduncle; pedicels 3-6 cm, glabrous; calyx segments lanceolate, 4-5 × ca. 1.5 mm, 3-veined, apex acute; corolla segments ovate-oblong, ca. 15 × 7-8 mm, 5-veined, apex acute; staminodes 5, 4 in pairs, other free, ca. 2.5 mm; ovary narrowly oblong, 13-16 × 4-6 mm, smooth, base slightly rounded or truncate, apex attenuate; style 2-3 mm, 3-fid; stigma reniform, 2-lobed. Fruiting peduncle 2-3.5 cm; fruit narrowly ellipsoid or narrowly ovoid, 3.5-6 × 2.5-3.5 cm, smooth, rounded at both ends, apex mucronate. Seeds yellow-white, narrowly ovate, ca. 6 × 3.5 mm, smooth, base rounded, apex slightly attenuate. Fl. summer, fr. Oct-Nov.

● Roadsides, valley sides, thickets, mountain slopes; 500-2000 m. Guizhou, W Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan.