Friday, March 31, 2017

What A Stinker

We were back in Estepona Wednesday to visit the Orchidarium. I've been monitoring the place online. The first time we were there, in November (click here), we had just missed most of the blooming season, but it's begun again. What is thought to be the largest flower in the world, Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum), reached its peak March 13. It was the first time it had ever bloomed in Spain. I saw it online but we missed an up close and personal visit.

TOWER OF THE 18TH-CENTURY CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF LOS REMEDIOS IN BACKGROUND.

Rather than miss anything else of significance, I suggested we take our neighbors with us and pay the orchid house a visit. I was pleased that the titan arum was still on display. You might know it by one of its more common names, Corpse Flower — because that's what it smells like. The first two photos are the remains (corpse?) of the Corpse Flower with a section cut out to give access to the seeds. Check out our friend's reaction to the powerful floral "bouquet." It really does reek.



WHAT WE MISSED. MARCH 14, ONE DAY AFTER IT PEAKED.

The plant that can make it all real...

20 comments:

  1. You didn't bring home a few seeds to spread around town for fun?

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    1. Travel:
      Could you imagine?!? What a gift to the neighborhood!

      Delete
  2. interesting flower; but I don't think I would want to smell it!

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    1. anne marie:
      I was surprised by how rcorpse-like it smelled more than a week after its peak. It must have been rancid at its best.

      Delete
  3. It kinda looks like it's name, but I do love the photo with the old church and the modern glass building; I love that juxtaposition of old and new.

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    1. Bob:
      We had just gotten out of the car when I saw that view. I, also, love the juxtaposition.

      Delete
  4. Yeah, these are great photos :) I think we have this stinking flower in the Missouri Botanical Garden, too. We have some stinking flower that blooms only sometimes, in any case. :)

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    1. Judy:
      You DO have a stinkin' flower at the Missouri Botanical Garden! Who would have expected that?!?

      Delete
  5. Hi Mitchell, I love the expression on your friends face! I don't think I would want to smell it either!
    Take care, looks like you are having beautiful weather.
    Robin

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    1. Cat Lover:
      I thought the expression on her face was priceless. And it was no exaggeration. I was shocked at how bad it still smelled when I leaned in for a whiff. Weather has been glorious -- although the winds are blowing strongly under the sunny blue skies this morning.

      Delete
  6. Great photos, Mitch!
    I can smell it from here!!

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    1. Jim:
      This should have been a scratch-n-sniff post!

      Delete
  7. You are sure putting your car to good use! That is an impressively large flower. Do you have to be close to it to smell it or does the smell cover a large distance?

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    1. Wilma:
      The car has made it so much more fun for us. When we saw the flower, you had to get that close to catch the awful aroma. I don't know how far the fragrance reaches when it's in bloom. I DO know you don't need to stick your nose close! The odor works to attract carrion-loving insects; they crawl inside looking for the body and instead get the sticky pollen on their bodies, which they then take away with them and spread.

      Delete
  8. I've heard of the Corpse Flower and yucky though it must be, I'd like to smell one.

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    1. Stephen:
      It was awful even this late in its cycle, but I'd like to smell a "fresh" one.

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  9. It is a hideous looking thing. That is one windsong I wouldn't want staying on my mind.

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    1. mistress maddie:
      Well, it was nothing like the fragrance of orange blossoms wafting through the air outside.

      Delete

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