This species has an extremely long spadix (up to 81 cm) and dark, almost black, spathe 29 cm long. The entire inflorescence stands about 160 cm tall. Mecufi District of Northern Mozambique. Not typical for the original description is the colour of the outer surface of the spathe, blackish.
Detail of wild Amorphophallus maximus from northern coastal Mozambique. Very peculiar is the extremely long spadix (81 cm). See also other pictures of this set.
In the wild in a coastal thorn bush vegetation in Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique. The base of the sterile part of the spadix is 3,5 cm in diameter, and thus corresponds with the typical subspecies (maximus), rather than the fischeri subspecies (supposed to be 1.5-2,5 cm in diameter, according to N.E. Brown in Fl.Trop.Afr.). The dark colour of the spathe, in combination with the verrucose inside of the base of the spathe, corresponds with A. leopoldianus in the same publication (Brown, 1901). A. leopoldianus is now considered a synonym of A. angolensis. Brown, however, distinguishes the 2 species by the texture of the inside of the spathe - verrucose in A. leopoldianus (as in A. maximus and A. fischeri) and pubescent in A. angolensis.
Amorphophallus maximus from Northern Mozambique has an extremely long spadix (81 cm), a blackish spathe (29 cm long) and a spotted peduncle (about 60 cm long). The sterile part of the spadix is 3,5 cm in diameter at the base.
The dark coloured spathe (29 cm long) is forced open to show the fertile base of the spadix. The entire spadix is 81 cm long ! The peduncle of the inflorescence is about 60 cm long and spotted. The inflorescence emerges before the leaf.
