Tree or shrub, with thick thorns.  Leaves 5 to 7.5 cm in length, elliptic-ovate, crenate; petiole narrowly winged.  Flowers white.  Fruit pale yellow, smooth, 5 to 7 cm in diameter.  Juice sweet but insipid.

Climbing shrub up to 5 m long.  Leaf alternate, simple, entire, hairy, rounded, cordate or peltate, 2-12 cm x 2-10 cm, petioles 3-7 cm long; male inflorescence a panicle, female inflorescence a simple cyme; male flowers white tinged maroon female flowers clustered in axils of rounded bracts; fruit a red drupe 4-5 mm long.

Bushy taprootedherb, erect, up to 1.5 m, highly aromaticwith a strong garlic-like smell. Lower leaves, sinuate-dentate, 5-8 cm x 1-2cm, upper leaves smaller with smooth margin; inflorescences are cymes, flowers clustered, greenish, perianth 1 mm long; fruit a utricle, seeds red-brown, smooth, ovoid 0.7-0.8 mm long.