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Corpse flower blooms in West Java botanical garden
The flower, which usually blooms in four-year intervals, last bloomed in 2020.
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Visitors of Bogor Botanical Gardens observe a blooming 'corpse flower' titan arum in West Java, on Jan. 4, 2020. (JP/Theresia Sufa)
A giant corpse flower in the Cibodas Botanical Garden in West Java bloomed early on Friday.
Titan arums are often referred to as corpse flowers because of their distinctly foul odor, described as a mix of rotting fish and strong cheese.
Destri, a researcher at the botanical gardens, said the Amorphophallus titanum, also known as the titan arum, blossomed at around 1 a.m. on Friday with the flower reaching 3.1 meters tall.
“Its height indicates good vegetative growth, and will lead to a bigger corm,” Destri told The Jakarta Post, referring to the plant’s swollen stem found underground.
The titan arum grows in the wild only in the equatorial rainforests of Sumatra and usually blooms in four-year intervals.
This particular titan arum originated from Kerinci Seblat National Park in West Sumatra. It last bloomed in 2020.
First discovered in 1878 by Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari, the titan arum is cultivated by botanical gardens and private collectors around the world. It first flowered in cultivation at the Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew in London in 1889.
According to the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BCGI) database, at least 70 gardens worldwide have a titan arum, most of them in the United States and Europe. (dre)
