{"id":43839,"date":"2024-11-14T09:40:04","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T08:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eb826090-9145-407b-a05e-0ab7ac554e8c"},"modified":"2024-11-14T10:27:32","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T09:27:32","slug":"why-a-us-horror-fiction-writer-just-spent-three-nights-with-an-elephant-sized-piece-of-flesh-that-smells-like-death","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/why-a-us-horror-fiction-writer-just-spent-three-nights-with-an-elephant-sized-piece-of-flesh-that-smells-like-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Why a US horror fiction writer just spent three nights with an elephant-sized piece of flesh that smells like death"},"content":{"rendered":"

Professor G. Eric Schaller, a horror fiction writer and molecular biologist, was one of a team of scientists on a mission to find out more about the putrid scent of titan arum \u2013 the corpse flower. <\/p>

By Daniel Graham\n <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 14 November 2024 at 08:40 AM<\/p>

\n\n

The unusual scent of titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum<\/em>), more commonly known as the corpse flower for its strikingly putrid smell, has fascinated scientists for a very long time. <\/strong><\/p>

They’ve also been intrigued by the plant\u2019s peculiar ability to warm itself up just before flowering (itself another curiosity, for it blooms only very rarely), using a process called thermogenesis \u2013 an unusual trait among plants, which remains poorly understood.<\/p>

In a recent study<\/a> led by New Hampshire’s Dartmouth College, researchers have delved into the flower\u2019s inner workings to uncover the genetic pathways and biological processes that drive both heat production and odour release during its bloom.<\/p>

Published in\u00a0PNAS Nexus<\/em>, the paper, led by Professor G. Eric Schaller (a molecular biologist and horror fiction writer), reveals a new and significant ingredient of titan arum\u2019s pungent scent \u2013 an organic compound known as putrescine.<\/p>

Watch: a titan arum \u2013 or corpse flower \u2013 draws the crowds at St. Louis, Missouri, USA on 13 July 2022\/Getty <\/figcaption> <\/figure>

A warm, putrid scent<\/h2>

Schaller and his team seized the opportunity of several blooms by ‘Morphy’, a 21-year-old titan arum\u00a0housed at Dartmouth\u2019s Life Sciences Greenhouse<\/a> in New Hampshire, USA, to collect tissue samples for genetic and chemical analysis.<\/p>

Interestingly, the titan arum isn\u2019t a single flower, say the researchers, it\u2019s a cluster of many small flowers hidden within a colossal central structure called the spadix, which can reach up to three metres (12 feet) in height \u2013 that’s as tall as a large Asian elephant<\/a>.<\/p>

This spadix is a key visual feature of the plant and, when it finally blooms after a typical wait of five to seven years, it does so overnight. \u201cThe blooms are rare and short-lived, so we only have a small window to study these phenomena,\u201d Schaller explains.<\/p>

At the base of the spadix, a ruffled petal-like layer called the spathe unfurls, forming a cup around the stalk with a deep-red or maroon interior. Shortly after, the spadix begins to heat up, rising up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above the surrounding air temperature. This warmth is followed by the plant\u2019s signature foul scent \u2013 a blend of sulphur-based compounds that attract flies and carrion beetles to aid in pollination.<\/p>

The titan arum flower can grown up to 3m tall \u2013 the same height as a large Asian elephant\/Getty <\/figcaption> <\/figure>