Sunday, May 01, 2016

Amorphophallus titanum-Theme Day, May 1, 2016


When I saw the theme "smell" for today, I knew I would have to repost this one, which first appeared on my blog on April 11, 2008.

The flower is lime green with a phallic-like stalk and, when blooming, has a leafy purple and green "cape." Its soil temperature is monitored and at the base of the stalk are seedlike structures, which turn out to be the male and female features. The pollen is to be collected and spread around so that other corpses may bloom! The flowering version of the plant is so rare that plant experts know how many times it has happened in conservatories since it was discovered in Sumatra in the late 19th century. Ours at the Como Paark Conservatorywas no. 122, one of the smallest on record, topping out at around 29 inches.

To see how other bloggers have interpreted "smell,"  go to City Daily Photo Monthly Theme Day.

15 comments:

  1. Oooooo! The corpse flower sounds a wee bit icky Kate, and smells like it also it seems..what a very unique find for the theme, nice work :)

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  2. Amazing plant I have never seen before.

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  3. Good Lord! Just what I need, a flower that smells like a dead person! Yikes. :)

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  4. Oops! I also meant to say it's a great post for the theme!

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  5. Oh, my gosh! As soon as I saw your title I knew it was the 'corpse flower'. The last time it bloomed at Selby Botanical Gardens here in Sarasota, it was a BIG deal -- lots of news coverage. Nice post for this theme day.

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  6. I just read a few days ago about a giant one of these blooming at Kew Gardens in London. They said it was very rare and produced a giant bloom.

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  7. I can just imagine the smell!

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  8. I'll just imagine the smell of this one. ;-)

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  9. The one here bloomed several years ago and it was big news! Good choice for the theme!

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  10. Never heard of that plant and I'll pass on the smell test :)

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  11. Interesting, yes. Pretty, NO. I have missed the excitement around the occasional blooming.

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  12. I'm happy to miss the excitement of the bloom.

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  13. I'd love to see this flower in bloom.

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  14. I would definitely put up with the smell just to be able to see one of these flowers blooming!

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  15. I'd rather not to smell the flower of that plant. It could be horrible. Good choice!

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