Corpse Flower Quiz: The Rare Bloom of the Titan Arum
A titan arum may grow for seven to ten years before its first bloom, which lasts only a day or two, and this corpse flower quiz explains why crowds line up to smell it. Play 10 questions on Sumatra's rainforests, the heating spadix, carrion beetles, giant corms and the plant's long-delayed reputation.
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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds
Home
On which island does the titan arum grow wild?
Smell
Why does the bloom smell like rotting flesh?
Heat
What unusual thing does the central spike do during blooming?
Wait
How long can a titan arum take to produce its first bloom?
Duration
How long does a full bloom usually last?
Corm
What is the corm of a titan arum?
Structure
Technically, the titan arum's bloom is a what?
Name
Who coined the common name titan arum?
Kew
Where did a titan arum first bloom in cultivation in 1889?
Leaf
What does the plant grow between blooms?
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Scroll down to see the explanation for each question.
Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions
- Q1: On which island does the titan arum grow wild?
Answer: Sumatra
Amorphophallus titanum is native to the rainforests of western Sumatra in Indonesia.
- Q2: Why does the bloom smell like rotting flesh?
Answer: To attract carrion beetles and flies that pollinate it
The stench lures insects that normally lay eggs on dead animals, and they carry pollen between flowers.
- Q3: What unusual thing does the central spike do during blooming?
Answer: It heats up close to human body temperature
The spadix warms itself, helping spread the smell farther through the forest.
- Q4: How long can a titan arum take to produce its first bloom?
Answer: Seven to ten years
The plant needs years to store enough energy in its underground corm.
- Q5: How long does a full bloom usually last?
Answer: About 24 to 48 hours
The spathe opens and begins to collapse within a day or two, so visitors rush to see it.
- Q6: What is the corm of a titan arum?
Answer: A huge underground storage organ
The corm stores energy and can weigh more than 100 kilograms.
- Q7: Technically, the titan arum's bloom is a what?
Answer: An inflorescence of many tiny flowers
It is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, with small flowers hidden at the base of the spadix.
- Q8: Who coined the common name titan arum?
Answer: David Attenborough
Attenborough used it in The Private Life of Plants because the Latin name sounded awkward on television.
- Q9: Where did a titan arum first bloom in cultivation in 1889?
Answer: Kew Gardens in London
The bloom at Kew drew huge crowds and press coverage.
- Q10: What does the plant grow between blooms?
Answer: A single giant umbrella-like leaf
The huge leaf can reach several meters tall and feeds the corm for the next bloom.
Corpse Flower Quiz – The Titan Arum's Rare Show
The titan arum, Amorphophallus titanum, grows in the rainforests of Sumatra. It produces the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, a tall spike called a spadix wrapped in a frilled, purple spathe.
The plant can take seven to ten years to bloom for the first time, storing energy in an underground corm that may weigh over 100 kilograms. When it blooms, the spadix heats up and releases a smell like rotting meat to attract carrion beetles and flies.
The bloom lasts only a day or two. Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari described the plant in 1878, and it first bloomed in cultivation at Kew Gardens in 1889. David Attenborough popularized the name titan arum.
What This Quiz Teaches
Plant lovers and garden visitors will find useful facts here.
- Where the titan arum grows
- Why it smells
- How its spike heats up
- How long blooms last
- Where it is grown today
Did You Know?
- Rafflesia is also called a corpse flower.
- Botanic gardens livestream blooms online.
- Female flowers open before male ones.
- Hand pollination helps gardens produce seeds.
- The species is listed as endangered.
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