By: Brett Israel
Published: 03/13/2012 06:53 PM EDT on OurAmazingPlanet
A rare corpse flower is expected to roll down its blood-red skirt and unleash an olfactory assault at the Cornell University greenhouse this week.
The corpse flower is technically known as an Indonesian titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) plant. Native to the equatorial rain forests of central Sumatra in western Indonesia, these flowers are as rare as they are malodorous. They grow in the wild only in the rain forests of Sumatra and rarely bloom in cultivation. If the plant blooms, it will be one of approximately 140 such cultivated blooms recorded in history.
"It's quite an exciting experience here," said Cornell horticulturist Karl Niklas. "We've brought a little bit of Sumatra to upstate New York."
Corpse flowers can tower over the crowds that flock to see them open. The plant is about 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall today (March 13), Niklas told OurAmazingPlanet, but could grow several more feet leading up to its bloom. The plants have a feature called an inflorescence that can reach 10 feet (3 meters) or more in height.
When it does bloom, the flower emits a powerful odor that smells exactly like rotting meat. In the wild, the odor and deep purple color of the leaf that unfolds entice pollinating carrion beetles and flesh flies, which normally feed on rotting flesh. Corpse flowers first bloom around the time they are 7 to 10 years old, and then every few years or so after that. So to reproduce in the wild, a pollen-carrying fly must chance upon two blooming corpse flowers, which isn't common.
"It's a dating game," Niklas said.
A titan arum bloom lasts a few days and then dies back as the plant becomes dormant.
The first person to discover a titan arum took seeds to plant at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the U.K. In 1889, when the plant bloomed, Queen Victoria was ruling, but she sent a court reporter to observe the bloom. The reporter had a simple message for the queen, Niklas said.
"Ma'am, don't come. It stinks," the reporter wrote.
So that visitors can smell the bloom for themselves, Cornell is opening its greenhouse to visitors from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. beginning today (March 13) until the bloom is complete.
You can follow OurAmazingPlanet staff writer Brett Israel on Twitter: @btisrael. Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter @OAPlanet and on Facebook.
Copyright 2012 OurAmazingPlanet, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.