'Corpse Flower' Set to Bloom in San Francisco
A giant, stinky flower is attracting a nosy crowd to San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers this holiday weekend.
The titan arum, more commonly known as the ``corpse flower,'' is set to bloom for the first time in two years.
The plant celebrity is world-famous for the big stink it makes when it opens for three or four days every few years. The flower is known both for its scent, which has been compared to dirty gym socks or rotting meat, and its size.
The 10-year-old plant at the conservatory, nicknamed ``Ted the Titan,'' is expected to reach a height of 5 feet.
"It's so voluptuous,'' said Scot Medbury, director of the Conservatory of Flowers, as he watched visitors pose for photographs with the towering bud. ``It's more bizarrely beautiful than anything you can imagine, but it's something that really evolved on this planet.''
The conservatory has extended its hours this weekend, bracing for crowds. The titan arum has even been featured in an episode of "The Simpsons.''
The plant, which is native to Sumatra, uses its scent in the same way that sweet-smelling flowers do: to attract pollinating insects. But this flower hopes to attract flies and carrion beetles that think its pungent odor means food.
The flower is actually made up of many smaller flowers. The arum lily has a potato-like root that weighs 44 pounds, Medbury said. When its hood unfurls, the deep reddish-purple bloom will last a few days, with the scent peaking on the second day. Then the bloom will collapse and the plant will go dormant again.
"Even closed, this truly is just exquisite,'' said Tricia Hall of Kentfield, who traveled to the conservatory with her husband, Tom, to see the titan arum. ``We were able to enjoy it without being driven away'' by the smell, she added with a smile. “尸花”将开放 引来众人目光(图)
上周末，美国旧金山温室花房中的一株又大又臭的花吸引来了众人的目光。这株泰坦魔芋花(Titan Arum)(通常被人们成为“尸花”)将在两年之中首次开放。
据美国“生活科学网”5月30日报道，泰坦魔芋花被认为是世界上最大的花，原产于印尼苏门答腊岛。这位植物界的“名人”因为其开花时散发出来的尸臭味而闻名遐尔，同时它那庞大的体形也格外引人注目。旧金山温室花房中的这株泰坦魔芋花已经10岁了，预计这株花可以长到1.5米高。
来到这里的游客们纷纷与这株泰坦魔芋花合影留念。看到这一景象，旧金山温室花房的负责人斯科特·迈德布里感慨地说：“它非常艳丽，比你能想象到的任何东西都要美，然而这种美得出奇的花朵确实是生长在我们这个星球上的。”
迈德布里介绍说，其实这株花是由许多小花组成的，它有着类似马铃薯一样的根茎。等到花冠展开后，呈红紫色的花朵将持续开放几天的时间，散发出的尸臭味也会急剧增加。当花朵凋落后，这株植物就又一次进入了休眠期。而它散发出的像臭袜子或是腐烂尸体的味道，是想吸引苍蝇和以吃腐肉为生的甲虫前来授粉。
旧金山温室花房将于本周末延长开放时间，方便游人们前往一睹泰坦魔芋花的“芳容”。(文/王高山) | 
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