Tuber discoid-hemispheric, ± 10 cm. in diameter, forming short stoloniferous side shoots.. Petiole 40–60 cm. long, maroon to brownish green with darker purplish green spots; ultimate leaf-lobes usually linear to oblanceolate and acuminate, sometimes obovate and cuspidate, 6–12 cm. long, 1–2.8 cm. broad, dark green on upper surface.. Inflorescence appearing before leaves; peduncle 7–25 cm. long, 0.7–1.2 cm. in diameter, elongating in fruit, with similar markings to petiole.. Spathe 16–29 cm. long; tube subcylindric to obliquely obconic, swelling upwards, distinctly constricted at apex, 4.5–7 cm. long, 2.5–4.5 cm. in diameter, outer surface greenish purple with purple lines and spots or glaucous purple, inner surface densely ridged longitudinally, blackish purple; limb broadly ovate-triangular, acute to subacute, margins undulate, 11–22 cm. long, 10–16 cm. broad, suberect, deep glossy maroon purple on inner surface with distinct glaucous blue-grey band at base.. Spadix 8–16 cm. long, normally shorter than spathe; sterile appendix cylindric, conic or clavate, narrowed at base, apex rounded, 4–11.5 cm. long, 1.2–2.5 cm. in diameter, densely and shallowly verruculose, dull dark purple; staminate part usually cylindric, sometimes ± swollen centrally, or slightly tapered towards apex, 2.7–3.5 cm. long, 1.2–1.7 cm. in diameter; pistillate part cylindric, 1.2–3.5 cm. long, 1.2–2 cm. in diameter, contiguous with staminate part, pistils densely congested.. Stamens free or with filaments ± connate in pairs or groups of 3, 2–3 mm. long, 1.5–2 mm. broad; connective pink to purple; pollen orange-yellow.. Pistil ± 4 mm. long; ovary 2.5–4 mm. in diameter, green, usually 2-locular (sometimes 3–4-locular); ovules solitary in each locule; placenta at base of septum; stigma sessile, subglobose, 2–2.5 mm. broad, indistinctly 2-lobed (sometimes 3–4-lobed), grey to brownish purple.. Berry 0.5–1 cm. in diameter, 1–2-seeded.. Seeds ± 8 mm. in diameter.
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A fleshy plant. The stems are erect and stout. The leaves arise from the tuber. They are 60 cm high and wide. The leaves are rich green and umbrella like. They are deeply divided around the edges. The bract that surrounds the flower is dark reddish-purple and slender. The edges are wavy. The spadix is 20 cm long.
It is a tropical plant. It grows in damp places in savanna. It needs rich, moist well-drained soil. It is damaged by drought and frost. In Ethiopia it grows between 1,300-2,000 m above sea level.
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