Descr. Tuber of an oval-oblong shape, horizontal, 
partly rising above the ground, marked with rings, appa- 
rently showing its annual progress, and with scars, whence 
the old leaves and flower-stalks have fallen. Petiole erect, 
three feet high, rounded, green blotched with purple, espe- 
cially below, where it is sparingly muricated : above, it di- 
vides into three branches or large leaflets, spreading like 
an umbrella, each of these is stalked and deeply pinnatifid, 
the segments very acute, entire or divided. From the base 
of the petiole arises the scape, a foot in height, in form and 
spinules resembling the petiole; clothed at the base with 
large sheathing scales: spatha half the length of the scape, 
oblong, much acuminated, concave, below convolute, of a 
dark purple colour, very intense and black purple within, 
Spadix not half so long as the spatha, thick and obtuse; its 
upper-half covered with large, polygonous, peltate, fleshy, 
whitish or cream-coloured anthers: the lower, except at the 
very lowest part, with numerous recurved, dark-purple pis- 
tals: these are ovate, smooth at the base, attenuated above 
and there clothed with short spines or tubercles. Stigma 
blunt. 
_ Fig.l. Anther. 2. Pistil, 3, The same with the Germen cut through 
_vertically :—magnified, 
