Cercestis mirabilis (N.E.Br.) Bogner

LEAVES: Stem about an inch thick, climbing to a height of 30 ft., rooting. Leaves glabrous; petiole 3/4-2 ft. long, terete, grooved at the base in the adult stage, shortly sheathing; blade 6-18 in. long, 5-14 in. broad across the basal lobes, hastate or cordate-hastate, cuspidate-acuminate or shortly and rather abruptly acute, more or less sinuate along the margins, in young plants or young shoots entire, dark green, variegated with whitish between the primary veins in a pattern resembling the tips of a fern frond; in adult plants with large slit-like perforations between the primary veins on each side of the midrib, green, without variegation; front lobe ovate or oblong-ovate; basal lobes broadly rhombic-ovate, or somewhat hatchet-shaped, very obtuse, with a broad, open, very obtuse sinus between them; primary lateral veins 3-4 on each side of the midrib, stout, distant; basal nerve with 2-4 branches, denuded for 1-11/2 in. in the sinus. INFLORESCENCES: Peduncles terminal, 2-4 together, 1 1/2-2 in. long, stout. Spathe 4 in. long, fleshy, green. Spadix a little shorter than the spathe, about 1/2 in. thick. INFRUCTESCENCE: Berries red, not seen