What's 95 inches tall, purple, and stinks like rotten meat?
June 5, 2001 6:49 AM Subscribe
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".
Little shop, little shop of horrors...
oh never mind. :P
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 7:56 AM on June 5, 2001
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
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
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
posted by TheChump at 8:26 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
posted by crog at 4:08 PM on June 5, 2001
Documented blooms of Amorphophallus titanum in the United States. The University of Washington's plant bloomed last month, as did one in Miami, FL.
posted by dan_of_brainlog at 12:13 AM on June 6, 2001
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posted by mcsweetie at 7:53 AM on June 5, 2001