Climbing plant, evergreen, dioecious, sarmentose, with very angular stems ascending in zigzag, equipped with small hooked spines that allow the plant to attach more easily to its support. Stems can become strongly woody, up to 5 cm in diameter and 15 m in length, and may sometimes even exceed these measurements. The final portion of the stem is herbaceous. Leaves alternate (2-11 mm long), petiolate, wide or narrowly cordiform, acute, entirely glabrous, coriaceous and bright, with an entire margin but sometimes provided with small spines which can usually appear in the midrib. At the petiole base there are 1 or 2 tendrils used by the plant to entangle onto stems, branches, trellises and anything that allows it to grow in height. Male plants produce flowers with a perianth divided into 6 pieces that open like a petaloid star, green-yellowish or green-reddish, very light colours. They have 6 stamens. These flowers are grouped into hanging umbelliform bunches. Flowers of female plants are similar, but with rudimentary and sterile stamens. Fruit is a globose berry (5-8 mm), red or black, bright, in hanging racemes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-11844","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n