The Corpse Flower
Magical relative, or specialized plant?
About the Flower
The flower's scientific name is “amorphophallus titanum.” It only blooms for 1-2 days per 5-10 years. It is the largest flower in the world (standing at over 2 meters tall,) and most famously, it smells like rotting flesh. It also generates human body temperature inside its bloom.
Shared Hidden Qualities with Humans?
The flower is named after/looks like a human body part; it has similar height and temperature to humans; it shares smells & colors with corpses.
Is the human life cycle magically connected to the corpse flower?
Nope, Just Attracting Unusual Pollinators.
The Corpse Flower Appeals to the Carrion Beetle
The flower's size and heat amplify the smell, which draws in the beetles; the colors mimic the beetles’ food; the carrion beetles come to the corpse flower in search of a meal, and end up pollinating the plant.
Mystery solved!
References:
“Weird Wonders of the Natural World,” BBC Earth
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