In pictures: 'Corpse flower' blooms

A titan arum flower has bloomed at Kew Gardens in west London. At 2.11m, it is the tallest flower in the world.

It is also the foulest. The bloom's odour is said to smell like rotting flesh, old socks, Camembert cheese or dirty nappies.

Some say there is a tinge of burnt sugar too. Before it blooms, the flower has a growth spurt of 10cm a day.

Enthusiasts need to be quick to see - and smell - the spectacle. Despite taking six years to flower, the titan arum only keeps its bloom for two days.

The flower is very rare and only a handful of glasshouses cultivate specimens. The last flowering of one at Kew was in 2003.

Cambridge University showed a titan arum blooming live on the web last year. It helped the more squeamish enjoy the sight, without the scent.

In its native Sumatra, the titan arum is known as the 'corpse flower'. It uses its scent to attract beetles and flies that help pollinate it.

Back

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Next