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{{SPlantbox
| name = ''Amorphophallus titanum''
|familia=Araceae
| common_names = Titan arum, Corpse flower
|genus=Amorphophallus
| growth_habit = ? <!--- tree, shrub, herbaceous, vine, etc -->
|species=titanum
| high = ? <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
|common_name=Corpse flower, Titan arum, Carrion flower
| wide = <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
|habit=bulbous
| origin = [[Sumatra]], [[Indonesia]]
|Max ht box=6
| poisonous = <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
|Max ht metric=m
| lifespan = <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
|height_ref=Wikipedia
| exposure = ? <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->
|Max wd box=5
| water = ? <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->
|Max wd metric=m
| features = <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
|width_ref=Wikipedia
| hardiness = <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
|origin=Sumatra
|lifespan=perennial
|exposure=part-sun
|water=moist
| color = IndianRed
|features=flowers, foliage
| image = Corpse flower-ucdavis09.jpg
|flowers=purple, black, white
| image_width = 200px
|Temp Metric=°F
| image_caption = Corpse flower at UC Davis
|image=Corpse flower-ucdavis09.jpg
|image_width=200
|image_caption=Corpse flower at UC Davis
}}
}}
The '''titan arum''' or ''Amorphophallus titanum'' is a [[flowering plant]] with the largest unbranched [[inflorescence]] in the world.
The '''titan arum''' or '''''Amorphophallus titanum''''' (from [[Ancient Greek]] ''amorphos'', "without form, misshapen" + ''phallos'', "[[penis]]", and ''[[Titan (mythology)|titan]]'', "giant") is a [[flowering plant]] with the largest unbranched [[inflorescence]] in the world. It thrives at the edges of rainforests near open grasslands. Though found in many botanic gardens around the world it is still indigenous only to the tropical forests of Sumatra. Due to its [[fragrance]], which is reminiscent of the smell of a decomposing mammal,<ref name="BBG">"History and Botany of the Titan Arum" from the [[Brooklyn Botanic Garden]]</ref> the titan arum is also known as a [[carrion flower]], the "Corpse flower", or "Corpse plant".
The titan arum's [[inflorescence]] can reach over {{convert|3|m|ft|0}} in circumference. Like the related [[arum maculatum|cuckoo pint]] and [[calla lily]], it consists of a fragrant [[spadix]] of flowers wrapped by a [[spathe]], which looks like the flower's single petal. In the case of the Titan Arum, the spathe is green on the outside and dark burgundy red on the inside, and deeply furrowed. The spadix is hollow and resembles a large loaf of [[French bread]]. The upper, visible portion of the spadix is covered in pollen, while its lower extremity is spangled with bright red-orange [[carpel]]s. The "fragrance" of the inflorescence resembles rotting meat, attracting [[carrion]]-eating [[beetle]]s and Flesh Flies ''(family [[Sarcophagidae]])'' that [[pollination|pollinate]] it. The flower's deep red color and texture contribute to the illusion that the spathe is a piece of meat. During bloom, the tip of the spadix is approximately human body temperature, which helps the perfume volatilize; this heat is also believed to assist in the illusion that attracts carcass-eating insects.
Both male and female flowers grow in the same [[inflorescence]]. The female flowers open first, then a day or two following, the male flowers open. This prevents the flower from [[self-pollination|self-pollinating]].
After the flower dies back, a single leaf, which reaches the size of a small tree, grows from the underground [[corm]]. The leaf grows on a semi-green stalk that branches into three sections at the top, each containing many leaflets. The leaf structure can reach up to {{convert|6|m|ft}} tall and {{convert|5|m|ft}} across. Each year, the old leaf dies and a new one grows in its place. When the corm has stored enough energy, it becomes dormant for about 4 months. Then, the process repeats.
The corm is the largest known, weighing around {{convert|50|kg|lb}}.<ref name="UNCC">[http://gardens.uncc.edu/Titan%20Arum.htm Titan Arum Blooming]</ref> When a specimen at the Princess of Wales Conservatory, [[Kew Gardens]], was repotted after its dormant period, the weight was recorded as {{convert|91|kg|lb}}.<ref name="Kew">[http://www.kew.org/ksheets/pdfs/o10titanarum.pdf About titan arum]</ref>
The titan arum grows in the wild only in the [[equator]]ial [[rainforest]]s of [[Sumatra]], [[Indonesia]]. The plant flowers only infrequently in the wild and even more rarely when cultivated. The number of cultivated plants has increased in recent years, and it is not uncommon for there to be five or more flowering events in gardens around the world in a single year. The titan arum is more commonly available to the advanced gardener due to pollination techniques.
The record for tallest bloom in cultivation is for a Titan arum, which bloomed on 20 October 2005 at the botanical and zoological garden [[Wilhelma]] in [[Stuttgart]], Germany. The bloom reached a height of 2.94 m (9 ft. 6 in.).
==Cultivation==
==Cultivation==
===Propagation===
===Propagation===
===Pests and diseases===
===Pests and diseases===
==Species==
==Varieties==
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery perrow=5>
File:Titan-arum1web.jpg| photo 1
File:Titan arum Kew 6697.JPG| first of 2 flowers at Kew
File:Titan arum Kew 6700.JPG| second of 2 flowers at Kew
File:Corpseflower.jpg|Collapsed flower after bloom
</gallery>
</gallery>
==References==
==References==
<!--- xxxxx *[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963 -->
<references/>
<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
<!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
<!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
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