A rare specimen of “has blossomedFiore corpse” (plant Amorphophallus Titanum) among the greenhouses of the Botanical garden of Warsaw: it is one of the inflorescences more spectacular of the vegetable kingdom which owes its name to the nauseating smell that recalls that of march. This characteristic is also common to Reflected arnoldiianother CORPSE FLOWER From the unpleasant smell that inspired the design of the monstrous demogorgone of “Stranger Things”. Not really a garden perfume, but for her it is a winning strategy. Originally from certain remote areas of theIndonesiais a species that unites out of scale size and extraordinary evolutionary mechanisms. The specimen of “corpse plant” flowery in Poland made news not only for the rarity of the eventwhich takes place in nature about every 7–10 yearsbut also because it brings us back to reflect on how little we know – and protect – these vegetable wonders.
What is the “corpse flower”, the greatest inflorescence of the plant kingdom
What we see during the rare “flowering” of the perennial herbaceous plant (in nature it can only happen every 7–10 years) is not a single flower, but a spectacular inflorescence. Not branched, it can exceed 2.5 meters in height and get to a diameter of 1.5 meters. In the center there is one spice (a fleshy and often) gigantic florist, wrapped in one bract said spywhich has function protective or attractive. At the base of the Spice there are female and male flowers, separated from each other and active at different times, so from Avoid autoimpollination. The upper part is sterile, but fundamental: from there they start warmth and smell. The interior of the Spata is intense purplerich in anthocyaninspigments that have a role also in the visual attraction of insects.
Under the microscope, the Spata shows a robust base, with fabrics that give support, while upwards it thinks. There are calcium oxalate crystals, probably for discourage herbivores. The sterile appendix of the Spice is made of spongy fabricsfull of air: one structure that helps the spread of the smell.
Because the “corpse flower” stinks of march meat
The nauseating smell is a masterpiece of imitation. It releases above all during the female flowering phaseand is composed of a mixture of over 20 volatile compounds. The main ones are:
- Dimethyl-Dimolfuro (DMDS) and Dimetyl-Trisolfuro (DMTS), responsible for the hint of decomposition;
- Acids such as Butyrric and Isovalericwho remember Green cheese and sweat;
- Trimetilamminathe same that is felt in the fish gone to bad;
- Someone ALDEIDI AND CHETONI With sweet or fruity notes.
Everything is amplified by an ingenious make -up: the flower produces heat (up to 36-38 ° C)so volatile compounds spread better. An effective system to simulate a carcass with a precise goal: attract specialized pollinators, such as flies and beetles which normally lay eggs on dead meat. Once you enter, they can be trapped in the floral chamber until male flowers mature. At that point, they collect pollen and, out, take it with them.
Habitats and threats of the “corpse plant”
THE’Amorphophallus Titanum It is a plant that is only found to Sumatrawhere it grows in some mountain ranges covered with tropical forest. The areas in which prosperous are not random: often it is Wet slopeswell ventilated and with soils that do not hold the water for too long. It seems that the proximity to rivers and streams play a key role, probably due to the more stable microclimate.
Today, however, his habitat is shrinking. According to the Red list of the iUcnis considered “in danger“, And the reasons are not difficult to imagine: deforestation, fires, unregulated collections and – on everything – the climate change. The most pessimistic projections suggest that within a few decades most of the areas suitable for this species could disappear, making the encounters with this exotic giant even rarer.
