Annual, large or small climbers; stem 5-angular, scabrous, pubescent or nearly glabrous; tendrils 2-5-fid; leaves almost as long as broad, cordate, palmately 5-7 angled or sublobed; tendrils often trifid; petiole angular, scabrous and without glands; flowers monoecious, large, yellow, male and female ones often in the same axil; male in 15-20 flowered raceme or fascicled at the top; peduncles long; pedicels articulated near the apex; calyx tube short, broadly campanulate; petals-5, yellow with elevated, hairy, green veins, obovate, scabrous, spreading; stamens 3 rarely 5, 1-celled others 2-celled, sometimes all, unilocular, filaments shortly villous at base; female flowers solitary on 3-8 cm long peduncle often in same axil; calyx and corolla same as in males; ovary oblong, style cylindric, stigma 3-lobed, ovules many, horizontal; fruit large, cylindric, acutely, 10 angled or ribbed, covered by very short spines or papillae.