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 4 · From Sumatra to the spotlight
futura The Corpse Flower Spotlight
Sumatra's big bloom, / London goes wild, / call in the cops!
futura Dedicated 24/7 webcams draw millions of viewers, while 75,000 people lined up at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
futura Warm, dramatic light illuminates a towering titan arum flower inside a historic greenhouse.
Fun Fact
Too scandalous: In 19th-century Britain, some illustrators refused to draw the titan arum because its shape and name were considered too inappropriate.
Glossary
titan arum (noun)
A giant herbaceous plant of the arum family that is native to Sumatra and has a massive, foul-smelling flower structure. Following its 1878 discovery, the plant made its celebrated European debut at Kew Gardens in 1889.
A giant herbaceous plant of the arum family that is native to Sumatra and has a massive, foul-smelling flower structure. Following its 1878 discovery, the plant made its celebrated European debut at Kew Gardens in 1889.
Quiz
Approximately how many wild corpse flowers are estimated to remain in their native habitat?
Quiz
What is the current conservation status of the wild corpse flower according to the IUCN?
Quiz
Where and when did the first cultivated corpse flower bloom outside of Sumatra occur?
Quiz
Which modern technology has helped millions of people watch corpse flower blooms without smelling them?
Quiz
Which European botanist first scientifically documented the titan arum in Sumatra in 1878?