Cercestis congoensis Engl.

Plant invasive, creeping and climbing up to 5 m above the ground; anchor roots few and short between the nodes; stem also thick, 2-4 mm thick when dry, generally branching, bearing leaves along its entire length, and covered by a cuticle which detaches to form a membrane in the dry state; Internodes long, 5-15.5 cm. LEAVES: Petiole generally longer than blade, 8.5-32 cm; Blade hastate; anterior lobe 10-20 x 4.5-11.5 cm, ovate, deltoid or broadly triangular, apex acute or shortly acuminate, acumen 0.5-1 cm; Posterior lobes 4.5-12 x 2-5 cm, very distant, spreading outwards, nearly horizontal, extremities obtusely rounded; venation palmate with 5 basal veins, prominent ascending, each vein of the pair bordering the base of the blade and dividing into 2-3 equally prominent veins; Primary lateral veins ascending, not clearly distinguished from secondary veins; numerous translucant glandular lines in the parenchyma; sparse miniscule circular excrescences on the lower suface of the blade; petioles and edge of the blade sinus very often deep purple. INFLORESCENCES not terminal, axillary, 1-2, in the armpit of 1-2 bracts of 1-5 cm length; Peduncles shorter than the petioles, 6-15 cm; Spathe green to yellow green, often scattered with circular, purple, brown or blackish dots, apex mucronate, 3-9.5 cm; spadix often slightly exserted, female portion ca. 1/3 of the male portion, white or cream; ovary cream with brown or pink stigma, globose, covering the whole apex of the ovary; Ovule large. INFRUCTESCENCE: Berries red at maturity, with a brownish apical marking, subglobose, up to 1 cm diam.