What's 95 inches tall, purple, and stinks like rotten meat?

June 5, 2001 6:49 AM

What's 95 inches tall, purple, and stinks like rotten meat? Why, it's Amorphophallus titanum, the world's largest flower. One of them is about to bloom at the University of Wisconsin - Madison Department of Botany, and the link will take you to a webcam waiting for it to bloom. One bloomed at Kew Gardens in the UK a couple of years ago to much fanfare, and there are only a dozen or so "in captivity".
posted by briank (17 comments total)

I bet there is something awful and scary inside that flower, like a fleshy pandora's box or something. we must do everything in our power to assure that this foul greenery does not mature!

who's with me?
posted by mcsweetie at 7:53 AM on June 5, 2001

Little shop, little shop of horrors...

oh never mind. :P
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 7:56 AM on June 5, 2001

Things like webcams positioned to capture the blooming of a flower make me admire and respect the direct utilitarian nature of web porn.
posted by dong_resin at 8:12 AM on June 5, 2001

This is a great link--what a cool thing.

What's 95 inches tall, purple, and stinks like rotten meat?

I must admit, however, that when I saw this (amusing) thread title, my first thought was:

"Barney?"
posted by Skot at 8:19 AM on June 5, 2001

Hmmm. I live in Madison. Glad I didn't take My Squeeze to see it. Even more glad I don't have one of these on the 'puter!
posted by TheChump at 8:26 AM on June 5, 2001

can i smoke it?
posted by clavdivs at 8:48 AM on June 5, 2001

i missed one blooming in atlanta by about three weeks a few years ago. apparently it draws huge crowds who line up to sniff it. big hit with kids. and probably better for them than Barney.
posted by donkeysuck at 10:14 AM on June 5, 2001

Makes you wonder if maybe plants really do have consciousness, doesn't it? I wonder what this plant is thinking to itself right now?
posted by starvingartist at 10:21 AM on June 5, 2001

Another one bloomed at the Huntington Library & Gardens in Pasadena, CA a couple of years ago. It got a fair amount of media attention. Its stench also penetrated through the entire complex (this is one powerful odor).
posted by thomas j wise at 11:32 AM on June 5, 2001

Pasadena, CA

Sigh...San Marino, CA. Next door to Pasadena. You'd think that after using this library for several years I'd have the city on the tip of my tongue--er, fingers.
posted by thomas j wise at 11:34 AM on June 5, 2001

I wonder what this plant is thinking to itself right now?
It's probably thinking "Feed Me!".
Sorry, I couldn't resist...
posted by Sal Amander at 11:56 AM on June 5, 2001

Size does matter. This would explain why those wacky botanists named the flower "amorphophallus titanum." Translated, it means "huge shapeless penis."
posted by shinybeast at 11:59 AM on June 5, 2001

Pshaw. I have an amorphophallus that's ninety-eight inches tall.
posted by dhartung at 12:30 PM on June 5, 2001

It's a brilliant example of evolution at its finest. The flower smells like rotting meat to attract flies and maggots, which will think there's a dead animal in the flower to eat. The pollen gets on the insect's body, and BAM, the flower now has the chance of spreading its genetic material.
posted by gramcracker at 12:37 PM on June 5, 2001

Let's just hope The Tick and Arthur are there ready to sing to it if things get out of hand.
posted by toddshot at 1:06 PM on June 5, 2001

I am quite surprised that nobody mentioned the previous posting regarding the Amorphophallus titanum on Metafilter.
posted by crog at 4:08 PM on June 5, 2001