It only flowers once in 3 years, and has the largest unbranched inflorescence (cluster of flowers) in the world. Some Titan Arums bloom every 7 or even 10 years.
"The Titan Arum grows in the Sumatran rainforest and first appears as a single tall shoot that rises like a pole out of the ground. When it is 10ft tall it branches out into three leaves.
After a year it dies down but the following season it sprouts again, and does so year after year, building up a huge tuber in the ground. Then it dies down for a longer period, the stem rots away and after a few weeks all that is left is the tuber, hidden beneath the surface of the soil. it remains like this long enough for everyone to forget the exact place where the leaves once stood.
Then, unpredictably, the tip of the spadix begins to emerge from the ground, and grows at extraordinary speed. When it is five or six feet tall the spathe is apparent, it then unfurls and spreads out like a wide trumpet – remaining like this only for a day or two. During this time it is pollinated, although no one knew how or by what."
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/3320607/David-Attenborough-a-wild-life.html
10 Comments
MycroftHomlz*promote
siftbotPromoting this video back to the front page; last published Saturday, May 9th, 2009 6:14pm PDT - promote requested by MycroftHomlz.
pipp3355not playing for me. i'm using chrome on broadband connection. never seen fliiby befoar. can u modify the screen size in the embed code?
mauz15>> ^pipp3355:
not playing for me. i'm using chrome on broadband connection. never seen fliiby befoar. can u modify the screen size in the embed code?
I tried but it does not resize no matter what I do. I barely know how to change embed codes though.
Here is a youtube version. I did not post it because the embedding was disabled
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHaWu2rcP94
xxovercastxx...also known as a "Corpse Flower" because it stinks like rotting meat.
Amusingly, amorphophallus titanum translates as "giant misshapen penis". Those crazy Greeks.
MycroftHomlzNomino, I see you watching this video. You should lease a comment... I want to see that avatar of yours
brycewi19I never thought botany would hold my interest as much as when Attenborough presents it!
Memorarei expected it to go Little Shop of Horrors on him!
poolcleanerThis flower has always fascinated me.
steroidgsays...Wedge Antilles: Look at the SIZE of that thing!
That's no flower... That's a death star planet blow upper cannon.
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