Amorphophallus obscurus- a dwarf in a world of giants

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About two weeks ago, as I was repotting my begonias, I gazed upon my seemingly empty pots of dormant Amorphophallus and noticed one with a new growth sprouting. As I have almost completely forgotten that I have this species (yes, that happens quite frequently), I was dumbfounded and left wondering what it could be. It was only a few days later that I realized that among my modest collection of Amorphophallus is an A. obscurus, a species from Thailand that was described as new to science in 2001.


The inflorescence developed painfully slow- or perhaps it was just an artifact of my desire to see the spathe fully opened. Finally, it opened shopped today, June 20, and what a strange creature it is. The spadix is minutely rugose and resembled in my eyes a worm springing forth from a tubular body and reaching out into the sky. I could not detect any semblance of scent, even as I put my nose very close to it. However, by afternoon, the plant begins to emit a distinct fishy smell.

Note the new leaf growth sprouting on the left side of the spathe. 

Amorphophallus obscurus is one of the smallest species in this genus of magnificent giants and their inflorescences, although drab, is quite engaging nonetheless. Anyone searching for them in the wild during the blooming season may invariably step on not a few individuals before even realizing it. The lobed leaf has broad leaflets and peppered with tiny white dots. This is one of those species that are attractive even when not in bloom (and harassing your blue-blooded sensibilities 😂).


Oh and by the way, once you get this species to bloom, you can expect the plant to do so year after year. A stark contrast to the larger species which are unpredictable at best. I guess that the small stature of the plant allows it to store enough energy in one season's worth of growth to power up those curious inflorescences. Another difference with its larger cousins is that the tuber will produce a leaf after flowering. 

Hey, if you're into aroids but only have a small space at your disposal, you may want to add this to your wishlist. If you know where to get one!

The entire inflorescence is only 5.2 cm tall. Like other lilliputian Amorphophallus species, A. obscurus flowers very easily, even on tubers that have not yet reached optimum sizes. The tuber of this plant is only around 2 cm in diameter.

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