Perennial climber. Stem twining to the left, climbing up to 6 m tall, usually without hairs, wings, or spines; tuber solitary, globose to pyriform, usually densely covered with rough short roots, produced in shallow soil, swelling downwards from a thick attachment, replaced annually. Leaves alternate, simple, broad, or long ovate-cordate, up to 32 × 32 cm, acuminate; lateral veins conspicuously ladder-like; upper surface shiny, slightly bullate between veins, with bluish bloom; petiole length from half to full length of blade, sometimes winged; auricles usually absent, otherwise subfoliaceous, partly embracing the stem. Bulbils numerous, usually in leaf axils, sometimes displacing male flowers at base of flowering axis, usually warty when small, when large also smooth or angled, often reniform, 2–5 cm in diameter, flattened, grey to brown; flesh usually pale yellow, tinted with violet, oxidising to orange when cut, highly mucilaginous. Male inflorescence pendulous, 1–4 from bract axil, up to 1 m long, with up to 100 flowers; flowers pinkish green to white. Female inflorescence pendulous, 1–2 per leaf axil, with around 40 flowers; flowers pedicellate, tepals free. Fruit long, elliptical, 20–22 × 8–9 mm, reflexed, winged, shiny brown. Seeds winged.

Common climber at low elevations, thrives in areas with annual rainfall of at least 1000 mm. Grows well in fertile, preferably loamy, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Does not tolerate waterlogging.
Bulbils and tubers are boiled for a long time and sometime still have to be soaked in water to remove toxic substances before they can be eaten. It is an ingredient of curry or is used as a sweet. Tubers contain 63–67 g water, 1.12–1.5 g protein, 0.04 g fat, 27–33 g carbohydrates, 0.7–0.73 g fibre, and 1.08–1.51 g ash per 100-g serving.