Amorphophallus mangelsdorffii Bogner

Tuber depressed-globular, 4.5-6 × c. 3 cm, somewhat sunken in the centre, smooth, dark brown outside, yellow inside. LEAVES: Petiole 32-48 cm long, at the base c. 0.8 cm and apically 0.4-0.6 cm in diam., light green, sheath c. 14 cm long (from there the peduncle emerging). Leaf blade dissected in three main parts only, each either ± bifid and arising directly from the apex of the petiole, or once more divided and each leaflet with a petiolule 3 cm long and 0.3-0.4 cm in diam.; leaflets 9-14 × 2.5-4 cm, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, decurrent, green on the upper and lighter green on the lower surface, base mostly somewhat oblique, apex acuminate; venation reticulate, 9-12 primary lateral veins on each side of the strong middle vein, second order lateral veins thinner than the primary ones, inner collecting vein 1.5-2 mm from the margin of the leaflet, one or two thinner collecting veins very close to the margin. INFLORESCENCE: Peduncle 17-27 cm long and 0.4-0.8 cm in diam., light green as the petiole and never spotted. Spathe 7-9 cm long, c. 3.5 cm wide (at broadest point), only very slightly constricted or nearly so, initially upright, later limb reflexed and twisted, convolute at base and forming a subglobular tube of 1.5-2 cm diam., spathe outside light green at base and then becoming greenish yellow, inside at base of the tube greenish and smooth with somewhat prominent veins, then becoming greenish yellow to ± cream, apex acute. Spadix clearly longer than spathe, 10-12 cm long, sessile; pistillate portion short, c. 0.5 cm long and 1.1 cm in diam., flowers in up to four spiral rows; staminate portion c. 1.7 cm long and 1.3 cm in diam., yellow to somewhat beige; pistillate and staminate flowers contiguous; appendix elongate-conoid to subcylindric, 8.5-9.5 cm long, at base for some distance cylindric and there c.1.3 cm in diam., becoming narrower towards the blunt apex, greenish yellowish on the whole length. Staminate flowers densely arranged; stamen subrectangular in view from above, 1.3-1.4 mm long and 0.7-0.9 mm wide, 1.5-1.6 mm high; connective broad, 1.2-1.4 mm long and 0.6-0.7 mm wide, rounded apically, somewhat higher than the thecae, greenish yellowish; thecae lateral, golden yellow, c. 0.2 mm below the connective, c. 1 mm long and c. 0.6 mm wide, opening by an apical slit of 0.5-0.6 mm length; pollen inaperturate, globular, 38-42 µm in diam., exine echinate, spinulae small, 1.2-1.3 µm long and lax. Pistillate flowers densely arranged; ovary ovoid, 1.8-1.9 mm long and c. 1.5 mm in diam., light green, whitish at base, unilocular, with one anatropous ovule, this roundish and with a very short funicle, with short, papillose and densely arranged trichomes on the placenta (visible in fresh material only); stigma small, subhemispheric, sessile, 0.6-0.7 mm in diam., whitish, papillose. INFRUCTESCENCE unknown. Odour at anthesis like fermenting fruits and somewhat spicy.