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It looks, and most
famously smells,
like a bloom from
the Little Shop
of Horrors, but
the Corpse Flower
is very real and
very shy.
The flower is native
to the rainforests
of Sumatra where
it is called the
'bunga bangkai'
which translates
literally to 'flower
cadaver.' The botanical
name for the plant
is the Titan Arum.
The plant is a prized
trophy in botanical
gardens around the
world, including
the Royal Gardens
in London and Sydney.
The tallest Titan
Arum in the world
measures at a full
nine and a half
feet tall
The most strangely
compelling aspect
of the Corpse Flower
is its scent, which
is released on the
very rare occasions
when the plant blooms.
The scent of dead,
rotting flesh attracts
flies and carrion-beetles
that serve to pollinate
the flower. Male
and female flowers
grow from the central
'spike' around which
grows the huge single
petal, called the
spathe.
A rare blossoming
at the Huntington
Botanical Gardens
in Los Angeles drew
76,000 people to
witness the event
during its 19 days
on display.
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