Amorphophallus titanum

[PaphMadMan]

That's a rather small one then.

 

[PaphMadMan]

Another batch of A. titanum tubers on eBay, plus some seedlings too this time. Grow your own!

http://stores.ebay.com/Tindaras-Garden-Orchid-Supplies_Plants

 

[NYEric]

OOH OOH, what to get Dad for Xmas! :crazy:

 

[JeanLux]

Extreme comparison-shot Robert !!!! Jean

 

[nikv]

Don't stand too close to it, Robert. The thing just might lean over and eat you!

 

[Yoyo_Jo]

Poor Lois has collapsed. How's "Audrey" doing?

 

[Drorchid]

Poor Lois has collapsed. How's "Audrey" doing?

She has collapsed as well; pretty amazing that it takes them about 10-14 years to reach blooming size, they produce a humongous bloom, and only bloom for about 12 hours!

 

[Mrs. Paph]

How about the stink? Has that sunk into anything else in the GH and lingered after the bloom collapsed? lol It's a little sad that all that time and effort for the plant is over so quickly, but that just makes it all the more interesting when there is a blooming event! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Drorchid]

The stink was pretty bad when she was open, I could smell it outside the greenhouse, and when I opened the door to the greenhouse at 8:00 in the morning it was pretty pungent in there, a combination of rotting cabbage, rotting fish and roadkill, but by noon the smell had already subsided a lot, and by the next day, when she had already closed up, and was starting to wilt , the smell was (luckily) gone.

 

[NYEric]

New photo?

 

[Kevin]

Very awesome! For those of us who are not very familiar with this type of plant (like me), where are the actual flowers, and what is the purpose of the giant spadix? Is it simply for tansmitting the extreme odoour to attract pollinators? Did you get any pictures of the flowers? Does the leaf ever open fully? Do you have any updated pics of what it looks like now?

 

[Kevin]

Update to my last post: I think the 'leaf' I was refferring to is actually a spathe or bract. So, when does it get a leaf? With a flower that size, how big is the leaf?

 

[likespaphs]

leaf will come out soon. puts out one big compound leaf that can be as big as 14 feet tall and 14 feet wide.

http://www.aroid.org/gallery/strolka/index.php

 

[Bolero]

Very interesting plant, I have never seen this before.

And I have to say it's almost rude.......lol

 

[PaphMadMan]

Update to my last post: I think the 'leaf' I was refferring to is actually a spathe or bract. So, when does it get a leaf? With a flower that size, how big is the leaf?

Now you've got it. It is a typical spathe and spadix inflorescence of an aroid, like a calla lily or jack-in-the-pulpit. Amorphophallus usually follows a cycle of dormancy, flower, leaf (usually single, resembling a small palm tree), back to dormancy.

 

[NYEric]

Thanx for the link Brian, those things look so innocent! :evil:

 

[Drorchid]

Very awesome! For those of us who are not very familiar with this type of plant (like me), where are the actual flowers, and what is the purpose of the giant spadix? Is it simply for tansmitting the extreme odoour to attract pollinators? Did you get any pictures of the flowers? Does the leaf ever open fully? Do you have any updated pics of what it looks like now?

The actual flowers are at the base of the spadix. Ours did never fully open, it was the most open around midnight, by 8:00 in the morning when I saw it (and that is when I took the pictures) it was already closing up. Here is a link to one that is fully open:

http://www.bananas.org/f8/unknown-plant-desperately-looking-forward-ided-8619.html

I did not take any pictures of the actual flowers but here is a link:

http://www.kew.org/plants/titan/pollination.html

Robert