Cercestis mirabilis

Cercestis mirabilis is a climbing liana native to the humid tropical forests of West and Central Africa, from Benin to Uganda and Angola. It grows in shaded understory to lower canopy conditions. The juvenile leaves display intricate pale reticulate venation and interveinal silvery-white markings on deeply sagittate blades. As the plant climbs and matures, the leaves become larger, greener, and more hastate or shallowly lobed, with reduced variegation. The stems are slender but robust, climbing trunks with aerial roots.

Native range

Benin to Uganda and Angola

Classification

Genus

Cercestis

Family

Araceae

Type

Wild

Growth habit

Climbing liana

Morphology

Leaf shape

Deeply sagittateArrowhead-shaped leaves, with pointed lobes at the base pointing downwards. (juvenile) to hastateSpearhead-shaped leaves, with basal lobes pointing outward at right angles rather than downward./shallowly lobed (mature)

Leaf length

20-40cm

Leaf width

15-30cm

Petiole colour

Green, slender

Venation

Pale reticulate venation with silver markings

Texture

Leathery

Variegation

Natural silver-white markings (juvenile)

Growth habit

Root-climbing climber