Stamp from Indonesia

Titan Arum Blooming Event UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens, 2007

Watch it progress chronologically. For the latest image, see bottom of this column or look at top of left column.
Titan Arum, Amorphophallus titanum

		18 June 2007
		We first began to suspect that the small bud emerging from the Arum's large pot could possibly be a flower and not a leaf on Friday, June 8th. Pictured here on June 18th, the bud has expanded to 31" tall and 8.5" wide.
		19 June 2007
		The Titan Arum flower bud continues to expand - growing 2" in height since yesterday. It will remain in the greenhouse until nearer to opening (estimating 10 - 14 days from now), when we plant to move it outdoors to the greenhouse courtyard for its public debut!
		20 June 2007
		Today the sheath of the bud has just begun to separate - we can see the immature spike poking out, as well as the immature bract portion of what will become the flower. The overall height today is 34".
		21 June 2007
		The spike has grown by 5 inches today - poking further out of the protective leaf sheaths. The folds of what will develop into the frilly "cloak", called a spathe are more visible. Even though we can see these parts of the developing inflorescence, at 39 inches "Bella" is still a long way from blooming.
		22 June 2007
		3 more inches today. Bella measures 42" high and 12" wide. Greenhouse horticulturist, Jennifer Alm is inspecting the progress.
		23 June 2007
		Bella grew 4” today, so is now measuring 46” tall and continues to “fatten” . The protective bracts surrounding the developing flower are still intact, which tells us the flower has at least a week before opening.
		25 June 2007
		Bella grew 6" since Sat. and stands 52" tall. The sheath leaves have begun to fall away as the flower grows to 30" in girth. No smell and no color yet. John Denti, orchid curator, measures Bella.
		26 June 2007
		Bella grew to 56 " tall on Tuesday. The last large sheathing leaf has fallen and there is a hint of maroon color inside the cloak. We turned her around as we have been looking at the back side. Note groove on the horn.
		27 June 2007
		Bella stands at 57 " - growth slowing. More color and texture forming. No smell. She has been moved a few feet to positing for public viewing. Harwood Gardens manager Teri Edwards sports new "Bella" T-shirts now available.
		28 June 2007
		Bella is 59" tall, and growing fatter. She shows more maroon color on the frilly spathe, here with Buffie Stephens, Media Relations Coordinator at UNCCharlotte.
		June 29, 2007
		Bella is 60" tall - turning maroon inside the spathe. No smell yet. She was on the web cam all night. Here she is with Sue Richards, head volunteer at UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens. Looks like Sunday may be big day - or not. Watch this site. watch the web cam.
		June 30, 2007
		Bella is 60 inches tall, hasn't changed much. here she is with gardener Connie Byrne. We are told by expert Alan Galloway that she will likely open Sunday night. We also had visit today from Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh where Bella was born in 2001.
		July 1, 2007
		The day has come -- Bella, the Titan Arum began opening early this morning - around 5 am! Come visit today to experience the smell from 8am - 8pm (Sunday only). Gary O'Brien examines the flower before taking its portrait.
		July 2, 2007
		Bella's smell has ended (can still get a whiff if you get real close), and her spathe is drawing in, but she is still a sight to see. The withering of the flower is happening more rapidly than we expected. Visit today or early tomorrow, as the flower may be closed up by tomorrow afternoon. Pictured is Suzanne Mellichamp, who was inspired by Bella's coloring to dye her hair.
		July 3, 2007
		Bella is behaving like a shrinking violet - the flower has withered rather quickly and will be mostly closed by tomorrow morning. Despite Larry Mellichamp's grimace, the flower no longer stinks. We will continue to allow her to "fade" naturally, until she collapses (perhaps by Friday). Then we will be watching expectantly for a leaf to emerge. The greenhouse will be open to visitors on July 4, from 10 am to 3pm.
		July 4, 2007
		Bella's horn collapsed today around 2pm. We are sad to see the flower go, but have enjoyed the excitement this plant has brought to the greenhouse and gardens. Soon, we will remove the collapsed flower, and wait for a leaf bud to emerge from the tuber. The giant leaf should be up and expanded by the beginning of August. If we are lucky, Bella will grace us with another flower in 3-5 years. Thank you for visiting and come back often!
		July 5, 2007
		Bye, Bye Bella! "All good things must come to an end" -- and some of them quicker than others. We will most likely cut off the giant faded flower ceremoniously on Friday. As soon as the leaf bud emerges from the tuber we will begin again growing this amazing plant and hope for another flower in 3-5 years. Thank you to all who visited, shared your excitement, and supported us. We hope you will come visit the greenhouse and gardens many times before Bella blooms again!

Where does the Titan Arum come from?
The Titan Arum grows in the moist, shady jungles of Sumatra, Indonesia.

What a weird-looking flower – is it really the largest flower in the world?
The Titan Arum produces the largest unbranched, inflorescence in the world. The largest of these recorded in cultivation was over 9.5 ft tall! An inflorescence is a structure containing multiple flowers. The Titan Arum bears a special type of inflorescence that looks like one gigantic flower. The tall slender central spike actually bears hundreds of tiny male and female flowers at its base. These little flowers at the base of the spike are hidden by the pleated sheath surrounding it. This sheath will open up at bloom and look like a sort of giant, frilly, maroon petal. Botanists call this sheath and spike type of inflorescence a "spathe and spadix".
Plants that produce these spathe and spadix blooms are in the arum family of plants. A local member of this family is the woodland "Jack-in-the-pulpit" Jack is the spadix and his pulpit is the spathe.

Does it really smell that bad?
Yes, but not for long! The plant produces waves of odor that have been variously described as smelling of rotting animal, dung, and rancid cheese. The Indonesian name for the Titan translates as “corpse flower”. Thankfully, these odors are only produced for 8 to 24 hours – corresponding to the “ripening” of the tiny female flowers, followed by the tiny male flowers at the base of the spike. In the wild, the odor can carry for up to a half-mile attracting specific pollinators. Scientists have observed carrion beetles, carrion flies, and sweat bees visiting the Titan Arum in Sumatra.

How old is your Titan?
Our titan arum, “Bella” is fairly young to be blooming – it is only about 8 years old.

Will it flower again?
We don’t know. It is certainly possible, as other gardens have had individuals bloom again – usually after 3-5 years. In the wild, individuals are estimated to bloom 3-6 times in a 40-yr life span. Plants in cultivation normally don’t live that long.

Where did you get “Bella”, your Titan Arum plant?
We got ours as a small tuber from Tony Avent, of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh. Tony is a fan of many plants in the same genus as the Titan Arum. Some species of Amorphophallus are actually winter-hardy in the Carolinas - these plants are much smaller than the Titan Arum, but fascinating, and even smelly in their own right. The Titan Arum is extremely sensitive to cold and must never be exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees F.

Why did you name her Bella? … Is it really a “she”?
First off, Bella is actually an “it”, since the “flower” is both male and female. Akin to naming a child, we decided on "Bella" for a couple of reasons. Bella is Latin for beautiful, and we are so proud of this flower that, despite its smell, we can only think of it as wonderfully beautiful. Additionally, the shape of the spathe surrounding the spike is that of an inverted Bell.

Is it rare?
In its natural habitat it has a limited range, but until recently was uncommon (but not rare) within that range. Unfortunately it is now becoming rarer and rarer – due to habitat destruction and illegal collecting of the tubers. A good number of botanical gardens around the world (and even individuals) have specimens, but they require specific growing conditions to thrive, and there is no guarantee they will ever bloom. Being lucky enough to have one bloom in cultivation is the rarity.

Where are the stems and leaves of this plant?
The Titan Arum grows out of a large, underground corm, which is very much like a bulb or tuber. The corm is actually a compressed underground stem that looks like a roundish, flattened potato. The corms of some Titans have weighed in at over 200 lbs!
At different stages during its life the Titan's corm is either dormant underground, or bearing a giant compound leaf or a solitary, giant inflorescence. In other words, the leaf and the flower never exist on the plant at the same time. After the Titan blooms, its amazing “flower” will wither and collapse, but the corm below ground will remain. After a short period a giant leaf will emerge. The leaf is spectacular in its own right. Its stalk is up to 12’ tall (taller in the wild), colored with splotches in shades of green and cream, and appearing somewhat like a giant, lacy umbrella. Although it looks like a weird sort of tree, it is truly just one giant, compound leaf! The leaf can last up to a year, before it turns yellow and dies. Then the plant must go through a period of rest (dormancy) – during this time is exists only as the underground corm.

Where can I find out more about the Titan Arum?
The web is full of information on this fascinating, dramatic plant. Most gardens and universities that have had one bloom have pictures and information. Search for “Titan Arum” or “Amorphophallus titanum”.

Bella bloomed in the early morning of July 1, 2007.


http://gardens.uncc.edu/Titan%20Arum.htm

Collector’s Corner

Amorphophallus titanum ‘Titan Arum’ or ‘Corpse Flower’. This giant aroid from Sumatra can reach 20ft tall with its single, umbrella-like leaf, and its bloom is classed as the largest un-branched inflorescence in the word at over 9ft tall. The morbid ‘Corpse Flower’ name comes from the smell of rotting flesh and the color of spoiled meat associated with the bloom, pollinated by flies and beetles in its habitat. In cultivation it has been rare and never fails to be newsworthy when one blooms. Only a few private collections and botanical gardens had this giant in their collections due to its former rarity.

http://www.tropiflora.com/creport/cr17-1/p6.html

Stinky Flowers

The titan arum lily (Amorphophallus titanium) originates from Sumatra, and stands at 6.9 ft high. The plant flowers for only two days before collapsing. The blood-red flower is renowned for its hideous smell, which is said to be a cross between burnt sugar and rotting flesh.

http://www.tmatos.com/2005_04_01_tmatos_archive.html

world’s largest flower?

The titan arum “flower.” Among its properties:

• It’s big - up to 3 meters. The plant itself can be even larger.
• It rarely flowers. Its root takes years to store up enough energy, apparently.
• It attracts flies, so it smells like rotten meat. (It’s not carnivorous.)
• Its real name is Amorphophallus titanum (I’m not making this up.)

So this thing has been on display at the Australian Royal Botanic Gardens, and one just flowered today, I guess. The one in the middle is what I am referring to. The one on the left is about to flower. The one in the back with leaves is in “growth” mode. I put “flower” in quotes because it’s not really one flower. The stalk and wrap are just appendages. The actual multiple flowers are all on the stalk, and there are two kinds, male and female, which mature at different times to prevent self-pollination.

An Australian paper had this to say:

A native of central Sumatra’s rainforests, the rarely seen flower is said to be the world’s largest flower, standing more than a metre tall.

On the few occasions one does bloom, it produces the stench of rotting flesh, giving rise to its other common name, the carcass flower.

The plant’s powerful pong is matched by its equally unappealing scientific name. Amorphophallus titanum, explained Steve Bartlett, a senior horticulturist at the gardens, “means huge deformed —

— Okay, Steve, let’s cut you off there,

The last time a titan arum flowered in the gardens, in October 2004, 16,000 people queued for a look. It was only the second time one had opened in Australia, and one of the few times in the world, outside Indonesia.

That plant was grown from seed collected in Sumatra in the early 1990s. Sydney horticulturalists later took cuttings, successfully producing two new plants

“It was originally thought they couldn’t be grown from cuttings,” said Mr Bartlett, also responsible for plant propagation at the gardens. To his delight, both new plants produced buds.

It turns out one reason people grow these (besides the novelty) is because they are endangered. And they are endangered because, well let’s see, they waste their time growing a huge root so they can occasionally grow a huge stalk; they try to get insects to pollinate them by deceit instead of mutual benefit; a decade may pass without flowering, and then, when they do flower, they don’t self-pollinate, so they may not ever produce seeds for a new plant unless there are several of them nearby. Clearly, these things are badly evolved. Just like panda bears. Terrible.

http://scripts.mit.edu/~zong/wpress/?p=18

"Bunga Bangkai" or "Corpse Flowers"

The Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum) is native to the equatorial rain forests on the island of Sumatra. There it is known as "Bunga Bangkai," meaning "Corpse Flower." This is due to its stench, which has been discribed as resembling "rotting-fish-with-burnt-sugar." This odor, which is strongest at night, is designed to attract pollinators, which in Sumatra are mainly carrion beetles and flesh flies.

In its natural state, the inflorescence of the Titan Arum can sometimes reach a height of 10 feet. None of the Titan Arums which have bloomed in "captivity" has reached this height. More typical in size is Mr. Stinky, which is shown on the left. Mr Stinky grew an inflorescence which reached a maximum height of 7'1" when it bloomed in May 2003. This is the exact same height as Shaquille O'Neill, who is shown at right.

A Little History

An Italian botanist "discovered" the Titan Arum in Sumatra in 1878. (The residents of Sumatra had long been aware of it, of course.) He sent seeds to England's Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, where the first bloom of this species in cultivation occurred in 1889.

A Titan Arum bloomed for the first time in the United States at the New York Botanical Gardens in 1937, where it became a sensation. Since then there have been about two dozen blooms in the United States. The photograph at right shows a bloom which occurred at the Huntington Library in Southern California in 1998.

A Little Botany

The Titan Arum grows from a large tuber that can weigh over 170 pounds. For most of its life, the plant regularly produces a single, umbrella-like leaf that is itself quite "titanic." In the wild, this leaf can reach 20 feet tall and 15 feet across. In cultivation the leaf usually grows 12 feet high, with the stalk as thick as a person's thigh before branching into a single, compound leaf. An individual leaf lives for about a year. The tuber then enters a short dormant period before producing another leaf or (if you're very, very, lucky) a Bunga Bangkai. The bloom of a Titan Arum is called an inflorescence. Like all Aroids, this inflorescence consists of a spadix surrounded by a spathe. Thousands of flowers are hidden inside at the base of the thick, fleshy spadix. The spathe when open resembles a fluted upturned bell with a maroon interior. Only after the spathe is completely unfurled are the flowers mature and only then does the inflorescence emit its famous odor.

The spathe unfurls about 3 weeks after the bud tip first appears. The huge inflorescence opens abruptly (within hours) and typically stays open for only a few days. Collapse of the spadix takes place after three to five days. If the flowers were successfully pollinated, the surrounding spathe eventually falls off, exposing the maturing seeds. When ripe, the cherry-sized fruits turn a bright orange-red, which attracts birds, which pick the berries off, eat them, and excrete the seed. In this way, the plant is dispersed in nature.

Hot Stuff!

The Titan Arum heats itself up during its bloom. The tip of the spadix will heat to about human body temperature, which can be seen in the thermal image from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, on the left. The rest of the spadix is cooler, though still warmer than the surrounding air.

The reason the Titans do this is that molecules which cause the famous stench are fairly heavy, sulfur based compounds that don't become airborne easily. The plant heats itself up in order to volatilize its "perfume," enabling the smell to travel further, attract more flies and beetles, and increase the chance of pollination.

The plant must expend an enormous amount of energy to do this, which limits the amount of time it can bloom. This explains why Titan Arums typically only bloom for a few days, and why they do not bloom every year.

http://www.platypuspool.com/arumtitan.html