The "Corpse Flower" (Amorphophallus titanum) gets its name from the pungent stench (strong smell) it emits in bloom - this, combined with the flower's huge size and deep purple color, convinced the first explorers who encountered it in Sumatra to believe it was a man-eating plant! Since then, this extremely rare plant has gained celebrity status by having one of the largest, rarest, and smelliest flowers in the world. These flowers can reach heights of 7-10 ft and a diameter of 5-6 ft.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science has one of these incredibly rare and odorous flowers ready to bloom in their the Cockrell Butterfly Center.
You can view a video here:
See the Corpse Flower at HMNS! [Amorphophallus titanum] from HMNS on Vimeo.
You can also view the live cam of the flower as it prepares to bloom at their website here.
Activity Ideas - Math
•Measure how tall you are. Write down your height and mark it lightly with pencil on a door frame.
- On July 1 the flower was 2.5 feet tall. How many inches taller or shorter are you?
•By July 4 the flower had grown to 3.4 feet. How much had it grown over three days?
•By July 9 the flower stood 5 feet tall. How much had it grown over five days?
•As of July 13 the flower had grown to about 5.4 feet. How much had it grown since July 1?
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