Lenore the Corpse Flower
Lenore the Corpse Flower
Amorphophallus titanum
The Titan Arum is known as the "corpse flower" in Indonesia where it was first found. Variously known as a "corpse flower" in Indonesia where first found, or "huge deformed penis" under its scientific name, "Amorphophallus titanum"
A tropical plant, of the Arum family, discovered in 1878 in Sumatra, Indonesia, by Dr. Odoardo Beccari, an Italian botanist. The f irst specimen to bloom in cultivation was at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in England and the f irst US recorded bloom was at the New York Botanical Garden, both taking place in 1937. The major components detected in the odors are the sulfur containing compounds dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide.
In the dense jungles of Sumatra a small inflorescence that relies on aroma to attract pollinators would have a difficult time spreading that aroma and attracting pollinators. Even better is that the plant actually uses energy reserves to warm itself up to temperatures comparable to human body temperature. The warmth allows the compounds in the odor to volatilize more easily. So in other words, the warmer the Corpse Flower gets, the stinkier it gets.
The lifespan of Corpse Flower plant is approximately 40 years.
Corpse Flower has been named “Lenore”, in honor of a poem from the American author Edgar Allen Poe that discusses proper decorum in the wake of the death of a young woman. This seems an appropriately macabre name!
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