A perennial, scandent or clambering shrub, often with long, pendulous branches, 2—6(—15) m long; stem in higher part slightly angular, finely appressed pubescent when young, terete and glabrous when old. Leaves alternate, ovate to oblong-sublanceolate, 4—15 cm x 2—8 cm, base acute, obtuse, rounded or subtruncate, often unequal, tapering towards the apex or acuminate, mucro long, often caducous, both surfaces thinly patently pilose, later glabrescent, midrib distinct beneath; petiole 1—6 cm long. Inflorescence an axillary or terminal raceme, very often divaricately branched, 5—28(—35) cm long, highest racemes usually collected in a terminal panicle, 15—75 cm long, rather dense or lax in the lower part, raceme often more than 50-flowered, peduncle absent or up to 8 cm long, appressed pubescent; bracts narrowly triangular, very acute, 1.5 mm long. Flowers small, solitary, sometimes clustered, malodorous, subtended by 2 bracteoles, ovate, acute, 1 mm long; pedicel 0.7—2 mm long; tepals 5, free, oval-oblong, 1.5—2.5 mm long, obtuse or rounded, pale green, margin white, often tinged red in fruit, reflexed; stamens 5, filaments at base united into a cup, free parts 1.5—2.7 mm long, anthers 2-celled; ovary superior, ovoid, funicle short, stigmas 3, greenish-white, 1—1.5 mm long, recurved on the fruit. Fruit a berry, globose-obovoid, 4—7 mm in diameter, indehiscent, bright red, falling out of the persistent perianth when ripe. Seeds (1—)5(—9), circular with emarginate base, 1—1.3 mm in diameter, almost smooth, brownish-black.

Antihelminthic (powdered roots)

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Used to get rid of mucous obstructions and the headache caused by the obstruction (powder of the root); applied externally for sores, stomach-ache, inflammatory tumours and also on the forehead for fever and headache (leaves); given to children for chicken pox (infusion of leaves); for treating dysentery (decoction of leaves).