Two rare and smelly Titan Arums, commonly known as corpse flowers, are beginning to bloom at The Huntington in San Marino. The plants, nicknamed Odorysseus and Odora, were placed on public display last week in the Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science.
Corpse Flowers
Native to the rainforests of western Sumatra, Indonesia, the Titan Arum is known for producing an odor to attract pollinators such as carrion beetles and flies. Visitors and botanists have compared the scent to rotten eggs, gym socks and decaying flesh.
Each bloom is expected to last only 24 to 48 hours, officials said. The endangered species can grow more than 12 feet tall and, at peak development, as much as six inches per day.
The Huntington maintains one of North America’s largest collections of Titan Arums, with more than 43 mature plants. Since acquiring its first specimen in 1999, the institution has publicly exhibited 29 corpse flower blooms, more than any other institution in the western United States.
Botanical collections staff members hand-pollinate the plants during flowering to produce seeds for cultivation and distribution to other botanical gardens. The Huntington said it also shares pollen and underground plant stems with partner institutions as part of efforts to preserve the endangered species and reduce pressure on wild populations.
Visitors can follow the blooms during public hours or online through a livestream at huntington.org/corpse-flower.
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
