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World's biggest, smelliest rare 'corpse flower' in full bloom

The world's biggest flower is also its smelliest, but that hasn't deterred crowds from lining up to get a glimpse - or a whiff - or the rare 'corpse flower'.

World's biggest, smelliest rare 'corpse flower' in full bloom

It's towering in height.. and commanding in structure.. but there's something else about the Titan Arun that makes it so distinctive... The giant plant smells like rotting flesh. So much so, it's been dubbed the 'Corpse Flower'... but that hasn't deterred thousands from lining up to get a sniff.

 

It towers 2.63 metres into the air but you could probably smell it, before you see it. 

So distinct is its scent, the giant Titan Arum is commonly referred to as the 'Corpse Flower' because as the large petals bloom, they let off a stench similar to that of rotting flesh.

Still, that certainly didn't bother the thousands who lined up to watch the plant in all its glory. After all, the Corpse Flower only blooms for three days, every few years.

Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens director, Professor Tim Entwisle said the smelly plant is always popular.

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"It's unpleasant in a way, but absolutely fascinating," he said. "Particularly for kids, and the younger at heart, they love that rotten smell and people put their nose close to it and the biggest complaint we have is that's not awful enough."

The plant is native to the rainforests of Sumatra in Indonesia, and is now listed as endangered.

Its fumes were spread around the world by Sir David Attenborough, who collected its seeds in 1993 and planted them in Kew Gardens in London, before transferring them to Sydney and Melbourne.

"It takes seven or eight years to build up the energy and to build up a tuber, like a great big potato underground, that's going to produce the flower," said Professor Entwisle. "We don't even know it's going to be a bloom when it first comes out of the soil, so it's a wonderful plant for excitement."

It's a labour of love caring for the world's largest flower, which has an interesting botanical name.

"The botanical name tells you just a little bit more about it. So, Amorphophallus actually means deformed penis, Titanum means very big. You can work it out," said Professor Entwisle. 

If you missed your chance to see the peculiar plant this time around, you'll probably be waiting another couple of years before you get another opportunity.


2 min read

Published

Updated

By Sarah Abo

Source: SBS


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