Amorphophallus titanum

The Titan Arum produces the largest unbranched inflorescence in the plant kingdom, a towering spathe and spadix that can reach three metres and releases a carrion-like odour to lure carrion beetles and flesh flies as pollinators, earning it the nickname 'corpse flower'. Between flowering events, which can be years apart and last only 24-48 hours, the plant channels all its energy into a single, enormous umbrella-like compound leaf atop a mottled, tree-like petiole, feeding a subterranean corm that can eventually weigh over 50kg. Because it takes the better part of a decade to reach flowering size from seed and rarely blooms in cultivation, specimens of any real size are held almost exclusively by botanical institutions and a small handful of specialist growers. Its scale and flowering have made it one of the most sought-after and Instagrammed events in the aroid world whenever a cultivated specimen approaches bloom.

Native range

Endemic to the equatorial rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, where it grows on limestone hillsides in the shade of the forest canopy.

Classification

Genus

Amorphophallus

Family

Araceae

Type

Wild

Growth habit

Solitary tuberous corm, alternating single leaf and inflorescence phases

Morphology

Leaf shape

Single deeply dissected, umbrella-like compound leaf

Leaf length

Leaf structure up to 3-4m tall

Leaf width

Crown spread up to 4-5m

Petiole colour

Mottled green and pale grey, mimicking tree bark

Venation

Palmate-pinnateVeins or lobes arranged like a feather, branching out symmetrically on both sides of a single main central vein., tripartiteDivided into three deep sections or parts, almost appearing as separate leaves. compound division

Texture

Glossy, deeply lobed leaflets

Variegation

N/A

Growth habit

Cyclical dormancy between leaf and inflorescence phases from a large subterranean corm