Strong woody climber. Leaves broadly ovate, cordate at the base and with a distinct drip tip, dark green and hairless, 5-veined from the base. Male inflorescences in false racemes up to 30 cm. Female inflorescences only half that size. Flowers similar in both sexes.
Derivation of specific name: caffra: of Kaffraria, a historic name for South Africa.
Habitat: In deciduous woodland, often near rocky outcrops.
Worldwide distribution: Angola, CAR, DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Pooley, E. (1998). A Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region. Natal Flora Publications Trust. Durban. Pages 52 - 53. (Includes a picture).
Troupin, G. (1960). Menispermaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(1) Pages 61 - 62. (Includes a picture).
Troupin, G. (1962). Monographie des Menispermaceae africaines Mémoires in-8° Nouvelle série XIII-2 Académie royale des Sciences d'Outre-Mer Pages 58 - 63. (Includes a picture).
White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Pages 377 - 378. (Includes a picture).
Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2019). Flora of Botswana: Species information: Tinospora caffra.