Tall woody tendril liana, old stems with tubercles, somewhat woody branches to 45m, stem often 5-angled, green to red-brown. Simple or 3-7 lobed glabrous leaves to 200mm x 160mm. Inflorescence to 100mm, 5-40 flowered male, 1-6 flowered female, 3-7 parted tendrils to 200mm, bracts & bracteoles to 2mm. Slightly foetid dioecious flowers. Male greenish-yellow flowers to 32mm x 16mm including 2mm long stipe, calyx tube to 18mm, with lobes to 15mm, 5 petals to 16mm x 3mm. Female flowers female flower at base of tendril, to 25mm x 15 including 0.5mm stipe, calyx tube to 10mm with lobes to 12mm, petals to 9mm x 1.5mm. Green, yellowish or red flowers, axillary simple or branched tendrils at end of male cymes. Coriaceous 90mm diameter yellow to orange-red 3-valved capsule.
Leaves, stem, seeds & bark have medicinal uses, fruit edible & used for lemonade, leaves eaten. Used as fish poison.