Rotten cheese, dog poo and something dead. And it's blooming early.

[Bluebear]

LONDON (Reuters) - Unseasonably warm weather may have tricked the world's smelliest plant into blooming in the middle of the northern hemisphere winter, botanists at the Eden Project where the native of Sumatra is housed, told Reuters.

The warmth of 2006 and mild winter to date have encouraged the Titan Arum or Corpse Flower into a phenomenal growth spurt and into flower -- an event that usually happens only once every six to nine years.

"The Titan, standing at 164 cms tall is now giving off a revolting stink," said curator Don Murray. "It is a cross between rotten cheese, dog poo and something dead."

"Tonight the flowers will be in full bloom -- as will the stench -- and that will last through Tuesday and Wednesday. But by Thursday it will have started to die back," he told Reuters from the project in Cornwall 220 miles southwest of London.

Murray said it was highly abnormal for the plant to flower in winter...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070205/sc_nm/britain_corpseflower_weather_dc_1

[Behind the Aegis]

1. Oh dear.

I thought this was going to be about something else all together. Consdidering some of the posts I have seen today! :)

I remember that Simpson's episode. :)

[tkmorris]

2. Feed me, Seymour! nt

[MissMarple]

4. Feed me!

:rofl:

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Leopolds Ghost]

5. Feed me -all- night long.

So I can grow big and strong...

"I don't know, I don't know
I have so
Many deep reservations
Should I go
And commit
...Mutilation?"

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

7. CANDY BAR!

CANDYBARCANDYBARCANDYBAR!

God I love Bill Murray.

[lonestarnot]

3. I thought this thing was in Denmark.

That is one big hunk of stink.

[MichellesBFF]

6. I saw this in a garden catalog

But they don't mention the stink in the description.
I'd buy one if I had a greenhouse, it's quite a flower!

[lonestarnot]

14. "rotten in Denmark" you know. I have a story bout a stink'n flower on my kid.

When he was about 4, my friend had one of those stink'n varieties. I sat down with my friend at an outside table and got a big whiff and said, "ssssssssssshit what died." She said, "It's that potted flower." I said, "No kidding," and bent down an smelled to see if she was telling the truth. A "breath of fresh ass," to borrow from fellow DUer IanBD1, then summoned my son from in the house to come and smell this beautiful flower. He came running and stuck his whole damn face in the thing before I could stop him. Puke and all we had to scrub him to get the stink off. I know it was a dirty trick on my part, but a story we won't forget around here.

[soothsayer]

10. Most good botanical gardens have 'em

[Bluebear]

11. I had NO idea it was so huge

It looks like it could swallow her!

[SalmonChantedEvening]

8. Wow, a head of romaine with a tusk.

Nature never ceases to amaze :rofl:

[conscious evolution]

9. I've seen one of these flowers

Murray's description of the smell is an understatement.
Their aroma,if you can call it that,is truly horrendous.
Never smell this flower if in the least little way you are nauseaus.You will projectile vomit.Then want to stuff the vomit up your nose to cover the smell of the flower.

[rug]

12. That looks like Mother Nature giving us the finger.

[XemaSab]

13. .

:patriot: