Climbers, the stem woody at the base, perennial, smooth or with short fleshy prickles, glabrous. Leaves rounded, ovate, entire or 3-5-lobed, 5-15cm long, basally cordate, apically acuminate, glabrous. Flowers in 1 to several flowered cymes. Sepals fleshy, ovate to elliptic, 10-20 mm long, apically caudate, at least on the outer sepals. Corolla white, salverform, the tube 9-15 cm long, the limb 8-10 cm broad. Fruit capsular, ovoid to subglobose, 2-3 cm long, dark brown, glabrous. Seeds dark brown to black, glabrous.

Fl. Per.: Throughout the year.

Type: India, Rheede, Hort. Ind. Malab. t. 50.f. 1 and 2. 1692 (Designated holotype by Verdcourt in 1963).

Distribution: Originally from Americas, now cultivated or naturalized in most of the tropical countries of the world.

This vine is cultivated in Pakistan for its fragrant, nocturnal flowers which are adapted for moth pollination.