木鱉子係多年生草質藤本，卷鬚同啲葉對生，唔分枝；葉片圓形至闊卵形，通常三深裂，背面生小乳頭狀突起生得好密；夏季開淺黃色花，花單性、雌雄異株，花椗上有苞葉；果實長橢圓形，表面上生好多軟刺，成熟嗰陣呈紅色。
Wood turtle is a perennial grassy vine, tendrils and leaves opposite, unbranched; leaves round to broadly ovate, usually three deeply lobed, the back of the small protrusions grow very densely; in summer blooms light yellow flowers, the flowers are unisexual, dioecious, there are bracts on the flowers; the fruit is oblong, there are many soft thorns on the surface, and it is red when ripe.