It has been a little over two weeks since the momentous blooming of Putricia the Corpse Flower at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney – a rare natural event that enraptured thousands of Sydneysiders (more than 27,000 of whom lined up for hours to catch a glimpse) as well as many more around the world, with over 1.3-million people tuning into the livestream that started in the lead up to her brief (and incredibly smelly) 24-hour inflorescence.
Putricia was the first Corpse Flower (or ‘Amorphophallus titanum’ or ‘Titan Arum’) to bloom in Sydney in 15 years, and many of her loyal fans and followers have been at a loss since the retirement of their stinky queen. However, in a rare botanical double-act, we can report that a second Corpse Flower bloomed at the Botanic Gardens over the weekend.
Nicknamed ‘Stink’ by staff, this flower is one of Putricia’s sisters (a genetic clone, actually). This second inflorescence wasn’t about to live in her famous sibling’s shadow, either – she’s much smaller in size, but packs a much more powerful stench. Professor Brett Summerell AM, Chief Scientist at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, described Stink’s stench as a combination of “fishy, dead mouse and dead possum.”
The Corpse Flower is the biggest and smelliest unbranched inflorescence in the world, only blooming once every few years for just 24-48 hours. (Fun fact: the foul stench is for the purpose of attracting flies and other insects that help the plant pollinate across long distances.) Native to the rainforests of western Sumatra, the Corpse Flower (or ‘Bunga Bangkai’ in Indonesian) is renowned for its sheer size and the smell of putrid, rotting flesh that surrounds the flowers when it blooms.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have a second Corpse Flower plant enter the flower stage,” Prof Summerell said. “This is an amazing opportunity for us to take the lessons we learnt from Putricia and promptly apply them to her sibling so we can learn a little bit more about this fascinating plant.”
Unlike her big sister, Stink stayed behind-the-scenes and wasn’t put on public display or live-streamed on social media. While Putricia’s groupies may be disappointed that they were not afforded the same opportunity to see Stink up close and personal, we’re told that there’s a very good reason for this – the staff were seeking to optimise conditions for crucial conservation work.
“Moving Putricia for public display meant that she was exposed to changes in motion, air temperature and humidity,” Prof Summerell explained. “Stink has taken perhaps a little less time to fully open, and that could be because she’s stayed cosy in her temperature-controlled nursery."
We really want to focus this time on the science and the conservation of this incredible species
As the Titan Arum is endangered in Sumatra due to habitat loss, this rare bloom highlighted critical conservation efforts by Botanic Gardens of Sydney, which is home to several specimens of this rare and threatened species.
Both Stink and Putricia were propagated from the same leaf cuttings, yet despite sharing their age and genetics, the sisters are far from identical.
"You can still see some phenological and morphological differences between the two individuals,” Prof Summerell said. “So we've still got a lot to learn about how propagation and then conditions for cultivation works.”
Staff have already gained valuable insights from cutting into her spadix, discovering the structure inside bears resemblance to a loofah. Removing the spathe yesterday afternoon allowed staff 360-degree access to harvest oozing pollen. Testing will happen this week to determine if pollen location or harvest timing plays a part in its potency for future pollination attempts.
Simon Duffy AM, Chief Executive at Botanic Gardens of Sydney, said both Putricia and Stink’s stories will help influence a better and more sustainable future.
“Our team of expert and specialist scientists and horticulturalists are working to gather the knowledge and samples needed to help conserve this fascinating but critically endangered species,” Mr Duffy said. “This is vital work to ensure future generations can also experience the botanical phenomena that is Corpse Flowers.”
Want to see more? Time Out Sydney Arts & Culture Editor (and resident Putricia enthusiast) Alannah Le Cross (née Maher) was on the scene when Putricia was at the height of her bloom (and her popularity). Watch the video below:
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