Carrion flower
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Carrion flowers or Stinking flowers are flowers that emit an odor that smells like rotting flesh. While a typical flower may be stereotyped as a colorful, sweet-smelling structure that attracts insects and rewards them with pollen or nectar, this scenario is somewhat perverted for carrion flowers because of the repulsive nature of the scent to most humans. Carrion flowers attract mostly scavenging flies and beetles as pollinators. Some species may trap the insects temporarily to ensure the gathering and transfer of pollen.
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[edit] Plants known as "carrion flower"
[edit] Amorphophallus
Many plants in the genus Amorphophallus (family Araceae) are known as carrion flowers. titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) which has the world's largest flower head, is also carrion flower. Rather than a single flower, the titan arum presents an inflorescence or compound flower composed of a spadix or stalk of small and anatomically reduced male and female flowers, surrounded by a spathe that resembles a single giant petal. This plant has a mechanism to heat up the spadix to enhance the emission of the strong odor of decaying meat to attract its pollinators, carrion-eating beetles and "flesh flies" (family Sarcophagidae).
[edit] Rafflesia
Flowers of plants in the genus Rafflesia (family Rafflesiaceae) emit a repulsive odor, similar to that of rotting meat. This odor attracts the flies that pollinate the plant. The world's largest single bloom is R. arnoldii. This rare flower is found in the rainforests of Indonesia. It can grow to be 3 feet across and weigh up to 15 pounds. R. arnoldii is a parasitic plant on Tetrastigma vine, which grows only in primary rainforests with no visible leaves, roots, or stem. It does not photosynthesize, but rather uses the host plant to obtain water and nutrients.
[edit] Stapelia
Plants in the genus Stapelia are also called "carrion flowers". They are small, spineless, cactus-like succulent plants. Most species are native to South Africa, and are grown as potted plants elsewhere. The flowers of all species are hairy to varying degrees and generate the odor of rotten flesh. The color of the flowers also mimics rotting meat. This attracts scavenging flies, for pollination. The flowers in some species can be very large, notably Stapelia gigantea can reach 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter.
[edit] Smilax or Nemexia
In North America, the herbaceous vines of the genus Smilax are known as Carrion flowers. These plants have a cluster of small greenish flowers. The most familiar member of this groups is Smilax herbacea. These plants are sometimes placed in the genus Nemexia.
[edit] Other plants with carrion-scented flowers
- Crescentia alata
- Sterculia foetida
- Hydnora africana
- Helicodiceros muscivorus
- Dracunculus vulgaris
- Lysichiton americanum
- Symplocarpus foetidus
- Arum maculatum
- Aristolochia clematitis
[edit] See also
Stinkhorn- fungi that use the same basic principle for spore dispersal.