Maize amylose, separated from granular starch by means of an aqueous leaching process, was used to investigate sphendite formation from concentrated mixtures of starch in water. Amylose (10-20%, w/w) was found to form a spherulitic semicrystalline morphology over a wide range of cooling rates (1 -250 degrees C/min), provided it was first heated to > 170 degrees C. This is explained through the effect of temperature on chain conformation. A maximum quench temperature of approximately 70 degrees C was required to produce spherulitic morphology. Quench temperatures between 70 and 110 degrees C produced a get-like morphology. This is explained on the basis of the relative kinetics of liquid-liquid phase separation vis-a-vis crystallization. The possibility of the presence of a liquid crystalline phase affecting the process of spherulite formation is discussed.