Index: Doc/lib/libitertools.tex
===================================================================
--- Doc/lib/libitertools.tex	(revision 47103)
+++ Doc/lib/libitertools.tex	(working copy)
@@ -323,10 +323,14 @@
 \begin{funcdesc}{starmap}{function, iterable}
   Make an iterator that computes the function using arguments tuples
   obtained from the iterable.  Used instead of \function{imap()} when
-  argument parameters are already grouped in tuples from a single iterable
+  argument parameters are already grouped in iterables from a single iterable
   (the data has been ``pre-zipped'').  The difference between
   \function{imap()} and \function{starmap()} parallels the distinction
   between \code{function(a,b)} and \code{function(*c)}.
+  
+  Note that the iterable is not restricted to returning tuples; any kind of
+  iterable that can be *-expanded is acceptable.
+
   Equivalent to:
 
   \begin{verbatim}
Index: Lib/test/test_itertools.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/test/test_itertools.py	(revision 47103)
+++ Lib/test/test_itertools.py	(working copy)
@@ -234,12 +234,17 @@
         self.assertEqual(take(3, starmap(operator.pow, izip(count(), count(1)))),
                          [0**1, 1**2, 2**3])
         self.assertEqual(list(starmap(operator.pow, [])), [])
-        self.assertRaises(TypeError, list, starmap(operator.pow, [[4,5]]))
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, starmap)
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, starmap, operator.pow, [(4,5)], 'extra')
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, starmap(10, [(4,5)]).next)
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, starmap(errfunc, [(4,5)]).next)
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, starmap(onearg, [(4,5)]).next)
+        
+        def gen():
+            yield {1: 'a', 2: 'b'}
+            yield {3: 'a', 4: 'b'}
+            
+        self.assertEqual(list(starmap(operator.add, gen())), [3, 7])
 
     def test_islice(self):
         for args in [          # islice(args) should agree with range(args)
Index: Modules/itertoolsmodule.c
===================================================================
--- Modules/itertoolsmodule.c	(revision 47103)
+++ Modules/itertoolsmodule.c	(working copy)
@@ -1346,6 +1346,7 @@
 starmap_next(starmapobject *lz)
 {
 	PyObject *args;
+    PyObject *tup_args;
 	PyObject *result;
 	PyObject *it = lz->it;
 
@@ -1353,14 +1354,14 @@
 	args = (*it->ob_type->tp_iternext)(it);
 	if (args == NULL)
 		return NULL;
-	if (!PyTuple_CheckExact(args)) {
-		Py_DECREF(args);
-		PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,
-				"iterator must return a tuple");
-		return NULL;
-	}
-	result = PyObject_Call(lz->func, args, NULL);
-	Py_DECREF(args);
+	
+    tup_args = PySequence_Tuple(args);
+    Py_DECREF(args);
+    if (NULL == tup_args)
+        return NULL;
+
+	result = PyObject_Call(lz->func, tup_args, NULL);
+	Py_DECREF(tup_args);
 	return result;
 }