Thousands are tuning in to watch people catch a whiff of world’s smelliest plant
Thousands of people have tuned in to watch a livestream of the world’s most foul-smelling plant as it prepares to bloom for the first time in years.
The titan arum, also known as the ‘corpse flower’, is one of the world’s rarest plants – and the smelliest. Only around 1,000 specimens are left in the wild and they bloom for just 24 hours every few years, emitting a disgusting smell described as a cross between ‘wet socks, hot cat food, or rotting possum flesh.’
One particular plant, nicknamed ‘Putricia’, is currently preparing to bloom at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, and countless visitors have turned up to get a whiff.
John Siemon, the director of horticulture and living collections at the gardens, likened the spectacle to Sydney’s 2000 Olympics, noting, ‘We’ve had 15,000 people come through the gates before the flower even opened.’
‘This specimen is around 10 years old. We acquired it from our colleagues at the LA Botanic Garden when it was three, and we’ve been nurturing it for the last seven years,’ he told the BBC’s Newsday programme. ‘We’re incredibly excited to have our first bloom in 15 years.’
Meanwhile, thousands have tuned in to a livestream of Putricia as anticipation for its long-awaited blooming continued to rise. Over 8,000 viewers tuned in to watch the plant on Thursday, which soon doubled after its appearance began to change.
The anticipation surrounding Putricia’s bloom sparked a wave of memes and inside jokes in the chat, with users commenting ‘WWTF’, which stands for ‘We Watch the Flower’.
One commenter wrote, ‘I’m back again to see how Putricia is going and I can see she’s still taking her time like the queen she is, fair play.’ Another added, ‘This is the slowest burlesque ever.’
Other popular acronyms included WDNRP (We Do Not Rush Putricia) and BBTB (Blessed Be The Bloom).
But after days of inactivity, the view on the livestream dramatically changed on Thursday as Putricia finally started to open up.
As she began to bloom, fans trod on a red carpet to view Putricia from behind velvet ropes in a display inspired by Queen Victoria’s funeral, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the late director David Lynch.
As the putrid odour started to develop, fans took selfies of the plant and leaned in for a sniff – a daring prospect as the ‘slaughterhouse’ stench began to thicken.
‘I am sickened,’ said Sydney Morning Herald science reporter Angus Dalton. ‘I am in awe.’
One young woman reportedly raised her hands and bowed down to the plant as though in worship, while botanic staff performed a viral dance in front of the plant on social media soundtracked by Chappell Roan’s hit ‘HOT TO GO!’
Although it was difficult to pinpoint why the plant had amassed such a cult following, garden spokesperson Sophie Daniel said it could be down to the ‘reverence’ so many viewers felt in the presence of ‘such an amazing living being.’
‘We did have a few conversations early on about whether or not we should have vomit bags in the room’ she told ABC, adding that garden centre staff ultimately decided against it. ‘I haven’t heard of anyone actually being harmed.’
After the unfurling is complete, a new single leaf would eventually be produced from the plant’s base, which will continue to grow.
‘However, so much energy has been expended on flowering and fruiting that it may be years before the plant has enough stored energy to flower again,’ said Siemon.
Once the blooming is complete, the gardens said they would explore pollination.
‘We have sourced some fresh pollen from a recent Australian flowering and we intend to pollinate her female reproductive organs at the first opportunity,’ he added.
‘If we achieve a successful pollination, Putricia may have up to 400 babies. We would seek to distribute these to other conservation agencies that can benefit with new genetic diversity.’
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