| Titan arum | |
|---|---|
_-_2.jpg) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Genus: | Amorphophallus |
| Species: | A. titanum |
| Binomial name | |
| Amorphophallus titanum (Becc.) Becc. ex Arcang | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Thetitan arum,Amorphophallus titanum,[1] is aflowering plant with the largest unbranchedinflorescence in the world.
The titan arum's inflorescence is not as large as that of thetalipot palm,Corypha umbraculifera, but the inflorescence of the talipot palm is branched rather than unbranched.
Due to itsodor, which is like the smell of a decomposing animal, the titan arum is called a 'carrion flower', or 'corpse flower', or 'corpse plant'.[2] For the same reason, the name 'corpse flower' is also used for the genusRafflesia which, like the titan arum, grows in therainforests ofSumatra. The function of the smell is to attract insect pollinators.[3]
Both male and female flowers grow in the same inflorescence. The female flowers open first, and only lasts (or is "receptive") about 12 to 24 hours. Then a day or two following, the male flowers open. This usually prevents the flower from self-pollinating.
The popular name "titan arum" was invented by the broadcaster and naturalist SirDavid Attenborough for his BBC seriesThe Private Life of Plants, in which the flowering and pollination of the plant were filmed for the first time. Attenborough felt that calling the plantAmorphophallus on a popular TV documentary would be inappropriate.[4]
