ABSTRACT
Ceriman is a fast-growing, stout, evergreen, herbaceous vine, which spreads over the ground and forms extensive mats if unsupported or climbs trees to a height sometimes exceeding 12 m (39 ft.), the vine occasionally known to grow to a length of more than 20 m (66 ft.). The stems are 6.3 to 7.5 cm (2½–3 in.) in diameter, roughened with the scars from the bases of fallen leaves, and they produce numerous, long, aerial roots. The leaf blades are leathery, up to 90 cm (3 ft.) in length, on §attened stalks as long as 1 m (more than 3 ft.), with deep cuts from the edges inwards and holes of various sizes on each side of the midrib. The leaves of young plants are heart-shaped, lack perforations, often overlap like shingles, and cling tightly to a support; at this stage, the plants are sometimes called “shingle plants.” Young plants with unperforated leaves are often sold in the horticultural trade under the name Philodendron pertusum. As the plants mature, the leaves grow larger and more perforated. Several stout §owering stalks are produced, each with an enveloping white lea§ike structure surrounding a green, cone-shaped fruiting head 20 to 30 cm (8-12 in.) or more in length and 5 to 9 cm (2-3½ in.) thick, reminiscent of an ear of corn or an extremely thin, elongated pineapple, or a very large, long, pine cone. Thick, hard hexagonal plates or scales cover individual ivory-colored, juicy, fragrant pulp segments. Occasionally pale-green, hard seeds the size of large peas occur, but generally the fruit is seedless. The fruit can take more than a year to mature. A fruit on the vine can be induced to ripen evenly by picking it at the point when the base of the rind is beginning to wrinkle, wrapping the whole fruit in paper, and keeping it for a few days. When unwrapped, all the little plates should fall away.
