# Amorphophallus titan...(warning, many photos)



## likespaphs (Aug 24, 2006)

an oral surgeon in or around Laconia, New Hampshire has a greenhouse and had one of these bloom. it was at a fire station as a fundraiser...















this one shows the hole they cut to pollinate it and the flowers inside...









the flower was 81 inches tall and kinda stinky. it had been in its full glory a day or so before i got there....


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## Heather (Aug 24, 2006)

That is so frickin' wildly amazing. 
What's the story with these things? Are they some prehistoric holdout or what? 


And I thought us orchid growers had spacial issues. Can you imagine moving that thing? I don't think I had any idea just how ginormous they got. Cool.


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## Gideon (Aug 24, 2006)

Wow!!! That is fantastic :clap: :clap: :clap:


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## SlipperFan (Aug 24, 2006)

One can certainly see why the name...


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## kentuckiense (Aug 24, 2006)

How much would one of those cost?!

Lien, I think your terrace is missing something...

Edit, found it: http://www.blackjungle.com/Merchant...uct_Code=AM-T&Category_Code=S&Store_Code=BJTS


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## Mahon (Aug 25, 2006)

Really nice pics!

...can you imagine the ones at Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew? One of theirs is about 8ft tall in bloom! These things in person are really interesting, especially the inconcievable stench which makes you gag... 

Any idea who the donor pollen for that _Amorpho. titanum_ is? This species was lost for quite a long while, and was rediscovered by none other than Lance Birk... =)

-Pat

(BTW, the generic name translates out to; 'Mishapen Penis'... a little etymology there...)


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## kentuckiense (Aug 25, 2006)

Mahon said:


> Really nice pics!
> 
> ...can you imagine the ones at Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew? One of theirs is about 8ft tall in bloom! These things in person are really interesting, especially the inconcievable stench which makes you gag...
> 
> ...



There were 4 other blooms this month. Maybe they swapped pollen? Is this species an obligate outcrosser though? Quite a few arums successfully self.


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## Mahon (Aug 25, 2006)

I wasn't sure if they can outcross it... I would kinda hope so, as maybe it will get different and possibly better variations of _Amorpho. titanum_... 

-PM


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## likespaphs (Aug 26, 2006)

i hope they swapped pollen. everything i've read suggests it is an obligate outcrosser (thanks for teaching me a new term...)


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## lienluu (Aug 26, 2006)

kentuckiense said:


> How much would one of those cost?!
> 
> Lien, I think your terrace is missing something...
> 
> Edit, found it: http://www.blackjungle.com/Merchant...uct_Code=AM-T&Category_Code=S&Store_Code=BJTS




I have one, but of course, nowhere near blooming size. The bulb is about 10" in diameter and it's just starting to leaf out. Kinda of late but for some reason most of my amorphos are late leafing out this year.


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