US (WI): Corpse flower blooms at Gustavus greenhouse

Visitors to the third-floor greenhouse at Gustavus Adolphus College’s Nobel Hall of Science described the odor wafting from the aptly named corpse flower in terms similar to rotting meat.

The rare plant flowers about once every three years and brings a devoted following and curious locals to the warm, odiferous greenhouse.

The flower is technically an inflorescence, which has a collection of tiny flowers at the bottom of a tall tubular structure, called a spadix. The outer purple sheath, which opens like petals, is called a spathe.

The inflorescence is one part of the life cycle of the plant, known scientifically as Amorphophallus titanum and generally as titan arum. It is native to Sumatra, Indonesia. But chemistry professor Brian O'Brien said it’s rare there.

Of the 20 seeds that O’Brien first received from a San Francisco physician and plant enthusiast, James Symon, 19 germinated and many remain in the Nobel Hall greenhouse or at other institutions. None of the others at Gustavus have progressed to large enough leaves to then store enough energy for a bloom. Anecdotally, O’Brien said he’s heard a plant will last 40 years in the blooming life cycle. The bloom will last for several days, during which college staff are recording it to broadcast on the web.

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