A vine with shoots up to 15 m long. It has tendrils. The leaves are alternate, deeply 3-lobed with serrated edges, measuring 5-22 cm in length and width.

The flowers are characteristic, white or purple, with a diameter of 5-7 cm. They grow singly in leaf axils and are surrounded by a 3-leafed bract at the base.

They have a disc-shaped, strongly developed floral base, a 5-lobed calyx, a 5-petaled corolla, and a crown made up of 3 whorls of filaments. The outermost of these whorls consists of colorful threads.

The fruit is an oval or round berry, 4-10 cm long, with numerous dark seeds surrounded by a translucent, orange aril. The covering is fibrous, dark purple or yellow.