Evergreen ground cover, 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) high, and a vine to 30 ft.  Leaves simple, alternate, 5-20 cm long, to 15 cm wide, thick, leathery, and smooth, base heart-shaped; juvenile leaves often 3-lobed (or even 5-7), upright vines may have leaves that are thinner and almost unlobed. Stem and the underside of leaves are covered with small, red stellate (star-shaped) or scale-like hairs.  Flowers small, yellow-green, 5-parted; fruit fleshy, back.