Rhizomatous perennial. Stems herbaceous, twining, to 4 m long. Leaf blades scabrous, cordate, deeply, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, 4–12 cm long. Male flowers white to yellow, paniculate. Flowers usually unisexual. Female flowers in pairs subtended by a bract in cone-like raceme 1–3 cm long. Fruits pendulous, long-ovoid, 2–3 cm long, yellow-glandular (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).