Botanical Name:Amorphophallus titanum
Family: Araceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Alismatales
Genus: Amorphophallus
Species: A. titanum
Synonyms:
Amorphophallus selebicus Nakai
Conophallus titanum Becc
Common Names: Arum or Titan arum
Due to its odor, like that of a rotting corpse, the titan arum is characterized as a Carrion flower, and is also known as the Corpse flower or Corpse plant
Habitat:Arum or Amorphophallus titanum is native solely to western Sumatra, and western Java where it grows in openings in rainforests on limestone hills. However, the plant is cultivated by botanical gardens and private collectors around the world.
It normally grows in rainforest in western Sumatra, Indonesia, on steep hillsides that are 120–365m above sea level.
Description:
Arum is a perennial herb with largest collection of flowers (inflorescence) in the world. Solitary inflorescence with leaf-like structure (spathe) surrounding a fleshy spike (spadix). Spathe approx. 3m in circumference, pale green and spotted white on outside, rich dark crimson colour on inside. Spadix up to 2m tall, dull yellow colour, hollow and expanded at base. Solitary leaf produced after flower, can exceed 4m wide. Leaf stalk (petiole) pale green spotted with white. Pollinated by beetles and flies.
It’s the largest flowering structure (inflorescence) on Earth, growing up to three metres tall. The flower is only open for 48 hours and attracts insect pollinators with its stench of rotting flesh. When it blooms the flower produces its own heat to help spread the smell and attract pollinators
This plant rarely blooms in cultivation (only producing a flower after 7-9 years) but Tim Grigg, a horticulturist at Eden’s nursery, has had a remarkable success rate having produced many for display in the Rainforest Biome. He has to hand-pollinate the individual flowers. They can take up to seven years to bloom. Find out how pollen from our titan arums has been used to hand pollinate a flower in Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
The swollen underground storage stem (tuber) can weigh more than 75kg.
Medicinal Uses:
Research is being carried out to see if a protein from the titan arum could be used to create a treatment for African sleeping sickness, which kills thousands of people each year in sub-Saharan Africa.
This arum is related to the cuckoo pint (lords and ladies) found in British hedgerows.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amorphophallus_titanum
https://www.edenproject.com/learn/for-everyone/plant-profiles/titan-arum
