If you like weird flowers, you've come to the right place. In this article - the second of a series - you'll find another odd plant that will make your garden unique.
Introducing the Titan Arum which is also known as the "corpse flower" or "corpse plant." Not to be confused with the other corpse flower that I discussed previously, the Titan Arum or Amorphophallus Titanum is a flowering plant that holds the distinction of having the largest unbranched inflorescence or compound flower in the world.
The plant was christened "Titan Arum" by the British broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough who thought that the name Amorphophallus was not appropriate for his TV viewers.
Discovered by the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari in Sumatra in 1878, the Titan Arum grows in tropical rainforests and produces only a single flower every few years. The plant blooms a few times in its 40-year lifespan. But this is usually a major event that is crucial for the plant's survival.
Lacking the ability to produce plenty of flowers to attract insects, the Titan Arum makes up for it by producing one tall flower that can reach almost ten feet. The record for the tallest bloom in cultivation belongs to the Wilhelma Botanical and Zoological Garden in Germany that reached a height of 9 feet and six inches!
The tall blooming flower sticks out like an upright phallus and carries the scent of rotting meat. The scent lasts for about eight hours and performs an important function. It attracts beetles and flies which are needed for pollination. Adding to this masquerade is the flower itself that has a deep red color and texture resembling a piece of meat.
While the stench produced by the flower is a hit with insects, people generally find it unbearable and difficult to remove since it sticks to the clothes and skin.
"The smell originates in a sticky oily substance produced by the plant and you can't get rid of it. There's no way you can walk out of here smelling like that, so the only answer is to scour yourself. I was still retching last night at the smell," said Greg Redwood, head of Kew Gardens in London who had the unfortunate task of pollinating it.
This stinking spectacle, however, doesn't last. After 24 hours, the flower wilts and it will take many years before a new flower is born. But in that short time, the Titan Arum has definitely left its mark - especially to those who have smelled it! (Next: Alien plant for your garden.) - 15266
Introducing the Titan Arum which is also known as the "corpse flower" or "corpse plant." Not to be confused with the other corpse flower that I discussed previously, the Titan Arum or Amorphophallus Titanum is a flowering plant that holds the distinction of having the largest unbranched inflorescence or compound flower in the world.
The plant was christened "Titan Arum" by the British broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough who thought that the name Amorphophallus was not appropriate for his TV viewers.
Discovered by the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari in Sumatra in 1878, the Titan Arum grows in tropical rainforests and produces only a single flower every few years. The plant blooms a few times in its 40-year lifespan. But this is usually a major event that is crucial for the plant's survival.
Lacking the ability to produce plenty of flowers to attract insects, the Titan Arum makes up for it by producing one tall flower that can reach almost ten feet. The record for the tallest bloom in cultivation belongs to the Wilhelma Botanical and Zoological Garden in Germany that reached a height of 9 feet and six inches!
The tall blooming flower sticks out like an upright phallus and carries the scent of rotting meat. The scent lasts for about eight hours and performs an important function. It attracts beetles and flies which are needed for pollination. Adding to this masquerade is the flower itself that has a deep red color and texture resembling a piece of meat.
While the stench produced by the flower is a hit with insects, people generally find it unbearable and difficult to remove since it sticks to the clothes and skin.
"The smell originates in a sticky oily substance produced by the plant and you can't get rid of it. There's no way you can walk out of here smelling like that, so the only answer is to scour yourself. I was still retching last night at the smell," said Greg Redwood, head of Kew Gardens in London who had the unfortunate task of pollinating it.
This stinking spectacle, however, doesn't last. After 24 hours, the flower wilts and it will take many years before a new flower is born. But in that short time, the Titan Arum has definitely left its mark - especially to those who have smelled it! (Next: Alien plant for your garden.) - 15266
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