Amorphophallus abyssinicus

Tuber disciform, surface greyish, margins convex, 4.5-31 x 2-11 cm, often with up to 30 cm long rhizomatous offsets, or with small to longish, cylindrical daughter tubers (subsp. unyikae ). LEAF emerging after the inflorescence 40-150 cm high. Blade 20-100 cm diameter, main segments divided into 3, rachis always winged acutely, cuneiformly to broad elliptically (‘spitz, keilförmig bis oval geflügelt’); in regions of highest leaflet division [rachis] broad elliptically winged (‘breit oval geflügelt’). Petiole 20-95 x 1.5-2.5 cm, reddish to geenish, with dark green or purple spots, smooth, with a whitish-grey wax cover. Terminal end leaflets lanceolate-elongate (Central Africa), broadly elliptic (‘oval’) to egg-shaped, ending in a short 0.6-1 cm long tip or with an up to 2.5 long drip tip, 4-18 x 1-8 cm, if lanceolate then 15-25 x 1-2 cm, upper side dark green, under side pale green, mid vein often distinctly raised, margin smooth. Two cataphylls, 8-41 x 2-7 and 6-25 x 1-5 cm, transparent greenish to pink background colour, with dark green-purple spots of irregular size and arrangement; the inner one longer than the peduncle. INFLORESCENCE short to moderately peduncled, solitary, very rarely two sprouting from one tuber. Peduncle (3-)6-31 cm long, 1-2.5 cm diameter (base), somewhat glossy, background dark green to brownish, with elongate brownish spots merging into groups. Spathe (9-)14-37 cm long, divided by a strong constriction into a cylindrical to conic-ovoid (‘oval’) tube and a widely triangular to roundish open limb (2-5 cm opening diameter). Open limb erect to tilted; (5-)8-27 x 7-16 cm; triangularly tapering or broad, broadly elliptic (‘oval’) to rounded; inside dark to light purple; outside greenish to purple, in part with pale greenish stripes; margin smooth or undulate. Tube 3-11 x 2-5 cm; inside immediately below the constriction with a pale, green stripe; outside greenish, purple to brownish, with a dark green-brown speckling or striation; basal inner side dark purple to red brown, from the base of the tube to the pale green stripe having ± parallel running, broad ribs of even height in lateral view and which are basally barely forked and are not interrupted. Spadix sessile, (5-)8-29 cm long, at least ¼ shorter than the spathe, or 2-4 cm shorter than the spathe (subsp. unyikae). Pistillate zone cylindrical, (1-)1.5-3.5 x (0.5-)1-3 cm, flowers congested. Staminate zone cylindrical, (1.5-)2-4 x (0.5-)1-3 cm, flowers very densely congested. Appendix ± cylindrical to short conical, (3-)6-15 cm long, purple red brown, finely wrinkled, widening in the first quarter, gradually tapering from the second quarter, and ending in a rounded tip; basally constricted; inside ± solid. Staminodes absent; sterile zone between pistillate and staminate zone absent; ratio of pistillate to staminate zone 0.5-0.8(-0.9) : 1. Pistillate flowers 3-6 mm long; ovary rotund, egg-shaped, 2.5-4 x 2.5-3.5 mm, unilocular (pseudomonomerous), incompletely bilocular, bi- to tri- (to quadri-) locular, green, basal placentation; stigma sessile, sometimes with a short style (only subsp. akeassi), 1.5-2.5 mm in diameter, reddish purple to brown, flattened globose, bi- (tri-, quadri-) humped or bi- (tri-) lobed and ochre (only subsp . akeassii ), smooth to slightly papillose; style 0.5-1.5 x 0.5-1 mm,clearly delimited from the ovary. Staminate flowers 2-3 x 1.5-2 mm; anthers free, 1-1.5 x 1.5 mm, ovoid (‘oval’), light brown to beige; filaments free or basally fused, short or 1-2(-3) mm long; pores apical, one elongate, broadly elliptic (-circular) pore visible per thecae; connective channelled, purple. INFRUCTESCENCE 30-90 cm long, solitary or with the leaf; infructescence stalk 26-85 cm long, about 2-4 times longer than during the flowering period, coloured the same as during flowering. Infructescence cylindrical, 6-12 x 2-3 cm, often with remains of the spathe. Berries 0.8-1 x 0.6-0.8 cm, 1-2(-3) seeded, egg-shaped; seeds egg-shaped to flattened egg-shaped, dark brown to black, 0.5-0.8 x 0.3-0.4 mm, smooth or somewhat rugulose due to microscopic small bands. Pollen orange, 37.5-59 x 36-58 .m, circular, egg-shaped ( subsp. akeassii) verrucate, slightly striate fossulate ( subsp. unyikae ), inaperturate. Smell slightly of a mix of mould and excrements.