A large, woody, glabrous, dioecious liana, up to 20 m long; stem up to 5 cm in diameter, wood yellow, exuding yellow sap when cut. Leaves usually ovate, (10-)12-25 cm x (5.5-)8-19 cm, coriaceous, palmately 5-veined at the base; petiole (4-)7-15(-20) cm long, swollen at both ends; stipules absent. Inflorescence is axillary or cauliflorous, paniculate, slender, 10-50 cm long, lateral branches spicate to subspicate. Flowers are unisexual, with 3-4 minute outer sepals and 6 larger inner sepals, petals absent; male flower subsessile, with a sessile, globose cluster of 9-12 anthers; female flower with 3 carpels and a number of staminodes. Fruit a slightly laterally compressed drupe, transversely subovoid, 2-3 cm in diameter, yellow, with a club-shaped stalk; endocarp woody, covered with a dense mat of radial fibres. Seed is broadly ellipsoidal, with ruminate endosperm, cotyledons much folded.

As stomachic, febrifuge, expectorant, tonic, and emmenagogue or abortifacient (decoction or infusion of the stem); antiseptic (decoction of the wood)

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Used internally for jaundice, worms, indigestion and other intestinal complaints (decoction of the stem); inhaled for troubles of the mucous membrane of the nose and mouth (smoke from the burning wood); to clean wounds, ulcers and other skin irritations (decoction of the wood); is drunk against fever and sprue (stem sap); to treat dysentery (flowers)