Tarundia cinctipennis Stål, 1862, a hemipteran insect, is associated with this plant.

[3] It has tough, fibrous stems up to 5 m long, armed with numerous hooked prickles and pairs of coiled tendrils at the leaf petiole bases.

Leaves are entire, alternate, ovate to elliptic to somewhat circular, 4–14 cm long, with a leathery texture.

Flowers in the same inflorescence are unisexual, with perianth segments 3–5 mm long, recurved, greenish-white, yellowish or brownish.

The fruit is a globose berry, 8–10 mm in diameter, turning from red to purplish to black when ripe, slightly sweet and acidulous.