Amorphophallus niahensis
Medium-sized, rather robust, aseasonally dormant geophytic herb to 1 m tall. Tuber depressed globose, with irregular raised areas, up to 12 cm diam., 6 cm high, surface pale brown, interior white. Leaf solitary, petiole proportionately short compared to the lamina diameter; petiole up to 60 cm long, ca 2.5 cm diameter at base, moderately turgid, cylindrical, smooth, uniform pale-green with a few obscure paler spots present in some individuals, subtended by 2-3 marcescent cataphylls, these extending ca 1/10th the length of the petiole; lamina moderately dissected, up to 1 m diam., thinly coriaceous, adaxial surface mid-green, abaxial surface paler, rachises naked except for terminal leaftets long-decurrent, narrowly canaliculate, mid-green; leaflets elliptic-lanceolate, 2-15 × 1.5-6 cm, terminal-most petiolulate, petiolule 1-2.5 cm long, narrowly canaliculate adaxially, lowermost pair of leaflets symmetrical, all others asymmetrical and obliquely inserted on petiolule, apex shortly acuminate; 3-9 pairs of primary lateral veins, these slightly impressed adaxially, abaxially slightly raised; venation forming distinct submarginal veins; interprimary veins less well-defined, secondary veins forming a weak reticulum. Inflorescence solitary, occasionally two or rarely three together, flowering before emergence of foliage leaves but in any one colony mature plants at all stages of growth (emerging leaves to ripe infructescences) present simultaneously; peduncle and lower part of spathe encased in sub-fleshy cataphylls, peduncle cylindrical, up to 17 cm long × 5-6 mm diam., pale green; cataphylls several per inflorescence; elongate-ovate, 3-16 cm × 1-4 cm, pale greenish white, sub fleshy at anthesis, soon withering and decaying, drying mid brown. Spathe broadly oblong-ovate, narrowly funnel-form, up to 9 cm long × 3 cm wide (fresh), pressed material up to 5 cm wide; spathe limb accounting for ca 1/3 or less of the spathe length, spathe mouth margins hardly recurved at anthesis and spathe limb margins planate; interior white, smooth, somewhat glossy, exterior very pale greenish white to white; lower spathe convolute and much inflated at anthesis, 2-7 cm long, interior muricate-verrucate, deep reddish purple, exterior pale greenish white, sometimes slightly pink-tinged. Spadix exceeding spathe, 9-12 cm long. Appendix up to 9 cm long, elongate-fusiform, ca 9 mm diam. (fresh), ca 4 mm diam, (dried), white, moderately echinate, producing a sharp smell of rotten fish at anthesis. Flowers unisexual; male flower zone cylindrical, up to 3 cm long, 6 mm diam., cream; stamens ca 1 mm long, ca 0.5 mm broad across, pores paired, partially fused or solitary, pollen dark yellow. Female flower zone shortly cylindrical, contiguous with the male zone, ca 4.5-7 mm × ca 7 mm diam.; pistils few, densely arranged; ovaries compressed globose, ca 1.5 × 1.5 mm, dark purple, mostly bilocular; stigma sessile, three lobed. Infructescence with up to 35 berries, pedunculate up to 22 cm long, 6 mm diam. at base, 9 mm diam. at apex, with blackish dark brown V-shaped scar from the marcescent spathe, basally with remains of the cataphylls. Fruit ellipsoid 15-16 × 8-10 mm, apex rounded, with blackish stigma remnants, when ripe deep orange, one seeded. Seeds ellipsoid, 12-14 mm × 7-8.2 mm wide, testa smooth, thin, yellowish green, seed copiously starchy, embryo small.
East Malaysia, Sarawak, so far recorded only from Niah National Park.
Limestone forest, growing shady areas in humus-filled fissures and holes in limestone, often on limestone emergent in swampy areas, ca 45 m asl.