Split-leafed cyclanthus, Victory plant

This large stemless plant grows up to 3 m tall. Its leaves split in two as they mature. They are about as long as the stalk (approx. 1.5 m) and about 40 cm wide before they split. The floral spike rises from the rhizome. The flowers are so closely spaced that it is impossible to distinguish individual flowers. They form a ring around the stalk. Rings of male and female flowers alternate on the same spike. After it is fertilized, the spike becomes a compound, syncarpous fruit. It is about 6 cm in diameter and is made up of several fleshy ring-shaped segments that each contain seeds.