An endangered plant known as the “corpse flower” for its putrid stench is blooming in Australia and captivating the internet in the process, with thousands already watching its spectacular debut via livestream.
The Titan Arum plants at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney bloom for just 24 hours every few years.
Affectionately called Putricia, it emits an odor described as “wet socks, hot cat food or rotting opossum flesh.”
The long wait to see Putricia unfold in full has spawned jokes in the live stream chat and even unique terms, with thousands commenting “WWTF” or “We Watch the Flower.”
The livestream attracted more than 8,000 concurrent viewers on Thursday, doubling in hours as the plant’s appearance slowly changed.
“We had 15,000 people through the gates before the flowers opened,” said John Siemon, the garden’s director of horticulture and living collections, comparing the spectacle to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
“This specimen is about 10 years old. We got it from colleagues at the LA Botanical Gardens when it was three years old and have been raising it for the past seven years,” he told the BBC’s Newsday programme.
“(We) are very excited to see it bloom for the first time in 15 years.”
After several days of inactivity, What live streaming looks like Putricia, comfortably ensconced behind the red velvet ropes, changed noticeably as it opened on Thursday.
As the flowers continue to bloom, viewers can expect to see Putricia unfurling a vibrant maroon or crimson skirt known as a spathe around the spadix, the large spike in the center of the plant.
The garden said it was “difficult to predict exactly” when the putrichia would bloom, but that didn’t stop thousands of people who gathered online.
One commenter said: “I’m back to see how Putrisha is doing and I can see she’s still having the time like a queen.” “This is the slowest satire ever,” said another.
Another wrote: “All night long I looked, fell asleep, woke up, looked, fell asleep. I am weak, but Putricia is strong. WWTF.”
Other popular abbreviations among viewers include WDNRP (We Do Not Rush Putricia) and BBTB (Blessed Be The Bloom).
This plant can only be found in the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, and is known in Indonesian as “corpse flower” or bunga bangkai. Its scientific name is Amorphophallus titaniumDerived from ancient Greek and means “giant, misshapen penis.”
When flowers bloom, the plant’s long yellow spadix emits a strong odor often likened to that of rotting flesh, fooling pollinators into landing on what they think is carrion, allowing pollen to be transferred between male and female specimens.
It has the largest flower structure in the world, capable of growing up to 3 meters (10 feet) tall and weighing 150 kg. The plant has hundreds of flowers at the base of the calyx.
They are at risk of extinction in the wild due to deforestation and land degradation.
Putricia is one of several Titan Arums at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, and was last in bloom 15 years ago.
But in recent years other corpse flowers have bloomed across Australia, including botanical gardens in Melbourne and Adelaide. It attracts thousands of curious visitors who want to smell it every time.
There are also a few in London’s Kew Gardens. It bloomed in June last year. The Titan Arum first bloomed in 1889 at Kew, outside Sumatra.
