From Plant Press Vol. 16 no. 4, October 2013
While more common than they used to be, a flowering Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum) is still a treat. In early August one of these large aroids decided to put on its irregular, smelly show for the first time since 2007. Inconveniently, it bloomed during the weekend, and the Botany Greenhouses, located in Suitland, Maryland, is only opened to staff. Still, a short open house accommodating about 35 visitors took place.
This particular specimen was given to the Smithsonian Institution’s Botany Greenhouse in 2003 by now-retired Aroid curator Dan Nicolson. Dan attended the open house with his wife Alice Nicolson and son David.
Before modern transportation and easy shipping of plant materials between conservatories and collectors, the titan arum was very rare outside its Sumatran rain forest. Now much more common in cultivation, its irregular flowering times, large inflorescence and foul odor still create a fascinating burst of fecundity. Amorphophallus titanum has the largest known unbranched inflorescence in the plant kingdom, and this time the Botany Department’s plant grew to a respectable 52 inches tall. Though its width and odor peaked in the middle of the night, SI Photographic Services was kind enough to photograph the event Saturday through Monday morning, where the overnight maximum can be seen in a stop motion video.
Unseen by visitors, the spadix itself warms up above ambient temperature to help dissipate the odor of rotting flesh, bringing in hopeful carrion beetles (in Sumatra) and flies (in our area). The Smithsonian Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations supplied the infrared images to show the warming spadix.
Because an individual plant requires a substantial amount of energy to produce such a large inflorescence, it can be many years before the Botany Department has another one of these fleeting events in the research greenhouses. Seeing titan arum bloom is highly recommended, here or elsewhere.
See the infrared image and the stop motion video after the jump...
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