Amorphophallus titanum

     Today, I want to introduce Amorphophallus titanum (or titan arum). This is the largest flower in the world.  As you guys know, Rafflesia is also very famous for the largest flower. As a matter of fact, titan arum is famous for the largest "inflorescence".  Although people are surprised at the size of titan arum, it has some other unique aspects besides the size.
     First of all, I'm going to give you some basic information about this flower.  Titan arum grows in rain forest in Sumatora.  The big one is about 3.5m tall.  Number of titan arum is really few, so people now are trying to preserve this flower.
     What's interesting about this flower is the fact that titan arums come into flower just once 7 years.  Basically, this plant are just closing inflorescence; that is,it is just a bud.  In addition, even if it comes into flower, it keeps for only 2 days.  Titan arum becomes a flower only 2 days in 7 years!!  Therefore, when titan arums bloom, many people come to Indonesia in order to see this rare flowering.  However, to tell the truth, as you can find it out from the picture, this is not actually beautiful.  In fact, titan arum was chosen as the ugliest flower in the world few years ago.
     Furthermore, when titan arums bloom, they emit terrible smell, which is really similar to smell of dead people.  The reason they emit bad smell is to attract some bugs and make them help pollination.  If titan arums emit bad smell, bugs are supposed to gather on the flower, and they drop into bottom of the flower.  Then, if bugs which has pollen touch stigmas, pollination of titan arums are supposed to succeed.  Titan arums keep emitting terrible smell not to miss rare chance to leave offspring.  Some couples think titan arums are romantic because they can see flowering just once 7 years, and sometimes they really go see it.  But most of them regret seeing it due to deadly smell.  According to some reports, this smell is so intense that nobody can't stand without mask.
     In conclusion, I don't recommend you to go see this bizarre plant, but I want to see it at least once before I die.(Actually once is enough.)  Titan arums make me think over what creature is.  I love this mysterious creatures.  I wonder how the plant come up with emitting horrible smell to gather bugs because they don't have brains.  Or, I also wonder if they have accurate clock in their bodies on not. In other words, how can they count 7 years? (Their flowering is exactly once 7 years.)  That's why creature is interesting!!!!