The titan arum is on the verge of extinction, and all 134 recorded titan arums currently are cultivated artificially. Researchers hope that the titan arum can survive in a greenhouse environment, reproduce through artificial pollination, and eventually return to Sumatra.
"I'm wondering, 'Do they know something I don't?'" Leonard said, "They pick up the scent before we do."
This titan arum was grown in the Biological Sciences Greenhouse at Ohio State University, named "Woody." It began emitting an odor late in the afternoon of the 23rd, which became increasingly intense over time, resembling the smell of a pile of garbage left under the scorching sun for several days.
The titan arum is native to the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. Leonard mentioned that due to illegal logging and agricultural expansion, 70% of the rainforest suitable for the survival of the titan arum has been destroyed.
Visitors watched this towering titan arum in the biological greenhouse.
Greenhouse coordinator Joan Leonard told reporters from the UK's Daily Mail that she saw a few flies circling around the titan arum bud in the afternoon, and by evening, there were about 20 flies.
The titan arum blooms on average once every ten years, with a flowering period of only two or three days. When the plant is ready for pollination, the stem begins to heat up, the petals gradually open, and it emits a pungent odor, which can travel up to 800-900 meters away, attracting carrion beetles and flies for pollination.
As night fell on the 23rd, this 1.68-meter-tall titan arum gradually unfurled its deep purple petals, reaching a diameter of 0.91 meters. The onlookers' facial expressions were slightly contorted, trying to smile but involuntarily frowning.
There are five titan arums in this greenhouse, and "Woody" is the first one to bloom.
According to reports from Xinhua News Agency, a greenhouse in Ohio, USA, has been bustling with people these past few days as everyone vies to catch a glimpse of the real titan arum flower. This giant flower typically blooms once every ten years and emits a decaying corpse-like odor that can be smelled hundreds of meters away, hence its nickname, "corpse flower."