Chapter 1
The chemistry of stinky
Chapter 2
The ultimate waiting game
Chapter 3
Tricks, traps, and tiny helpers
Chapter 4
From Sumatra to the spotlight
YOUR GOAL
Master of The secret life of the world's stinkiest flower
Ch 1 · The chemistry of stinky
futura Corpse Flower Stench Chemistry
With sweaty socks and rotting fish heating up the night, It brews a stinky chemistry to guide the beetles right.
futura Its purple interior mimics a carcass while the funnel-shaped spathe channels heated, smelly air to maximize odor dispersal.
Fun Fact
Smelly chemistry: The corpse flower's scent contains dimethyl trisulfide, the exact same compound that makes cooked onions and garbage smell so incredibly awful.
Glossary
dimethyl trisulfide (noun)
An organic chemical compound containing three sulfur atoms, characterized by a highly pungent and unpleasant odor. In 2013, U.S. Botanic Garden visitors flocked to Washington to smell this compound during a rare bloom.
An organic chemical compound containing three sulfur atoms, characterized by a highly pungent and unpleasant odor. In 2013, U.S. Botanic Garden visitors flocked to Washington to smell this compound during a rare bloom.
Quiz
Where are the actual reproductive male and female flowers located on the corpse flower?
Quiz
Which chemical compound gives the corpse flower its characteristic rotting fish smell?