Amorphophallus aberrans
A speciebus omnibus velo circum spadicis basin, staminodiis capillaceis aggregatis inter zonas masculas femineasque et inter pistilla, pilis longis stigmati insidentibus differt
Thailand (endemic)
flowering and fruiting in July, in dry savannah forest, 150 m above sea level
150 m alt. in dry savannah, 5 km east of Tak, between Tak and Ban Dan Lan Hoi, North East Thailand
Hetterscheid H.AM.741 (L, spiritcoll.), 20 km E. of Tak (cult. in Leiden Bot. Garden, orig. Coll. Sizemore 96-240); Hetterscheid H.AM.743 (L), Thailand, 20 km. east of Tak (cult. in Leiden Bot. garden, orig. coll. Sizemore 96-242); Hetterscheid H.AM.752 (L, spiritcoll.), 20 km E of Tak (orig. Coll. Sizemore 96-251); Hetterscheid H.AM.753 (data as previous; orig. coll. Sizemore 96-252); Hetterscheid H.AM.755 (data as previous; orig. Coll. Sizemore 96-270); Hetterscheid H.AM.758 (L, spiritcoll.), Utai Thani Prov. (cult. in Leiden Bot. Garden, orig. Coll. Sizemore 96-274C); Hetterscheid H.AM.928 (L, spiritcoll.); Hetterscheid H.AM.947 (L), Thailand, N. of Tak (cult. in Leiden Bot. Garden, orig. coll. Sizemore 97-152); Hetterscheid H.AM.948 (L, spiritcoll.), N. of Tak; Hetterscheid H.AM.950 (L, spiritcoll.), N. of Tak; Sizemore 96-254 (L, spiritcoll.); Sizemore 96-264 (L, spiritcoll.)
The general appearance of the inflorescence of A. aberrans is reminiscent of A. parvulus Gagn. and A. linearis Gagn. but the details of the female zone and the presence of a basal velum inside the spathe are unique in the genus. The latter character may turn out to be an aberrant and underdeveloped second spathe, which is a not uncommon phenomenon in Araceae in general. The staminodes show an intermediate condition to the entirely hairlike staminodes in A. cirrifer Stapf, A. hirtus N.E.Brown, A. henryi N.E.Brown and A. nov. spec. (Hettersch., Vietnam). In A. cirrifer similar intermediate staminodes are often found in a small zone between female and male part, often 3-5 clustered, apparently representing an entire male flower. The pattern of stamens reducing and changing into hairs is common in subfamily Aroideae and the presence of this character in Amorphophallus is indicative for a phylogenetic position within or near the base of this subfamily.