Warsaw: The endangered Sumatran Titan arum, a giant foul-smelling flower, also known as the corpse flower, went into a rare, short bloom at a botanical garden in Warsaw, attracting crowds who waited for hours to see it.
The extraordinary flower that bloomed on Sunday, emits a dead-body odor to attract pollinating insects that feed on flesh. It already withered on early Monday itself. Those who want to avoid the smell and crowds, could watch it on live video from the Warsaw University Botanical Gardens.
From Sunday night to Monday morning, hundreds, if not thousands, lined up long into the conservatory just to be able to pass by the flower and take a picture.
The flower is also known as the Amorphophallus titanum. The flowering plant has the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, which can be up to 3 meters (10 feet) high. Its compound flower is made of a hollow, tall spadix with small flowers and a spathe, with one big, furrowed petal that is green on the outside and deep burgundy red on the inside. Its blooming is rare and inconstant.
The plant only grows in the wild rainforests of Sumatra, but it is endangered due to deforestation. Cultivation at botanical gardens, where they are a great visitor attraction, has helped its protection. It’s first known blooming outside Sumatra was in 1889 at London’s Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.
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