A perennial herbaceous climber. Stem thick, succulent, quadrangular, angles winged, constricted at nodes, glabrous or slightly downy, almost leafless when old. Tendril long, slender, simple. Petiole 6-12 mm long, glabrous. Leaves simple ovate, entire or cordate, serrulate dentate, or crenate-serrate, 3-lobed, terminal lobe triangular or sub-spathulate, subacute or ± cuspidate, membranous, glabrous on both sides, 3-5 x 5-3 cm; stipules ovate or cuneate, obtuse, deciduous. Inflorescence a compound umbelliform cymes, peduncle 1-2.5 cm long. Flower pink and white, 2 mm long, hypanthium cuplike, truncate or obsurely lobed, green, c. 2 mm broad. Petals 4,distinct, ovate-oblong, acute, hooded at apex, c. 1.5 mm long. Disc longer than the ovary. Ovary glabrous, style slender subulate, stigma small. Berry globose, red, succulent, very acidic, 6-10 mm in diameter, 1 seeded. Seed obovoid smooth, 4-8 mm across.

Type: Herb. Linn. 149. 3 (LINN).

Distribution: India, Pakistan, Java, East Africa, Malaya, Ceylon Arabia, Cultivated in the gardens of Sind and elsewhere.

The stem is cooked and eaten locally.