Corpse flower, the world's largest flowers (and starts to stink) in Bruxelas10

The UOL in São Paulo
08/07/201315h12


Brave woman observes (and smell) the world's largest flower, known as the "corpse flower" in Brussels

Next time you, dear friend, is called beautiful as a flower, be suspicious. If the plant in question is the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus tintanum), may be calling you smelly.

The "corpse flower" (suggestive name) really stinks. The smell of rotting flesh seems. A copy of the plant began to bloom on Sunday (7), the National Botanic Garden of Belgium, a rare event that occurs unexpectedly for the third time in five years in Brussels.

Also known as "the biggest flower in the world," Arun Titan blooms only three or four times over his 40 years of life. The terrible stench is necessary to attract pollinating insects such as beetles, ensuring its reproduction.

The exemplary Belgian flourished in 2008, the year he arrived in Bonn, Germany, in 2011 and again this summer. "It is exceptional, never happened in any other botanical garden," said the spokesman of the garden, Franck Hidvegi.

The attraction is right, so the garden has extended their hours of operation.

Its leaves measure 244 cm and can continue to grow up to five meters.

"The bloom is very short, at most, three days. Then it will wither and will take several years to see it bloom again," said Hidvegi.

The Titan Arum comes from the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, which is in danger of extinction because of deforestation. (From AFP)