Titan Arum “Willi”: The three-meter-tall plant is in full bloom in the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna and proves to be a real magnet for visitors. It last bloomed in 2019 in the Botanical Garden of the University of Salzburg, from where it moved. Before Monday night’s natural growth spectacle called Amorphophallus titanum — which translates to “giant shapeless penis” — ends, biologists have questions about their complex reproductive strategy to clarify.
The Titan Arum is native to Sumatra (Indonesia) and its huge inflorescence attracts small insects that serve as pollinators. The large bulb at the top of the inflorescence warms up and gives off a smell reminiscent of rotting carcasses.
Weight doubled to 80 kilograms
This is exactly what can be seen and smelled in the Wien-Landstrasse on Monday. Since moving to Vienna, the plant’s massive bulb has doubled to 80 kilograms under the care of David Prehsler and colleagues at the Core Facility Botanical Garden.
bestial stench
During the short flowering period, experts are now conducting several studies on the pollination biology of the giant flower, as Florian Etl of the Department of Structural and Functional Botany at the University of Vienna explained on Monday. Titan Arum’s strategy is most likely to be to use the beastly stench to attract carrion beetles, which lay their eggs in carcasses, keep them in the lower part of the huge flower for about 24 hours, then release them back into the environment for their pollen. to carry . There are few sightings of Sumatra.
Experts also assume that “it’s a fall flower,” along with some other arums, Etl said. This also includes the spotted arum, which is native to Austria, or houseplants such as philodendrons or calla lilies. However, the fall theory has “never really been proven” for the Titan Arum. For this it must be demonstrated that there are sliding surfaces on the inside of the boiler-like structure.
“Female” and “Male” tag
The first day of bloom can be described as “female day,” when the plant is particularly foul-smelling, attracting beetles that will hopefully carry male pollen from other species. The “men’s day” follows on Monday, when the pollen of the currently blooming Titan Arum searches for a carrier. Therefore, the carrion beetles must remain in captivity. The Viennese researchers will then collect and analyze the pollen.
After the end of the Viennese blossom, which was named “Willi” in honor of the Viennese botanist and researcher of the arum family Heinrich Wilhelm Schott (1794-1865), such an event is only expected in about three years
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
