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A Marjorie McNeely Conservatory
horticulturist arrived at work this morning and noticed
that the rare flower, called a Titan Arum, was emitting
the telltale scent, which many liken to the smell of rotting
flesh.
The bloom — once every 15 years — is expected
to last for a day or so and is only one of about 125 to
have occurred since the flower was discovered in the Indonesian
rain forest in the 1870s.
It is only the second corpse flower bloom in Minnesota history.
Last year, a corpse flower bloomed at Gustavus Adolphus
College.
For much of the plant's life, it grows a single, tall leaf
out of its corm, which is similar to a root ball. On the
rare occasion when it flowers and blooms, its green collar
will fan out and turn a deep purple.
The color, along with the smell and the fact the plants
actually heat up, helps attract critters that normally feed
on carrion.
The plants can grow to more than 9 feet high. However, the
Como corpse flower is young and stands about 26 inches.
Cultivated in a greenhouse at the conservatory since 2005,
the flower has been moved to a public area where it can
be seen — and smelled — in all its, um, glory.
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