Home World Thousands queue for a sniff of Putricia! Corpse flower that smells like rotting flesh flowers for the first time in a decade

Thousands queue for a sniff of Putricia! Corpse flower that smells like rotting flesh flowers for the first time in a decade

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The specimen, nicknamed Putricia, a portmanteau of 'putrid' and 'Patricia', is famous for emitting an odor compared to rotting meat.

Thousands of curious tourists and locals queued in Sydney to catch a whiff of a rare plant known as a corpse flower after it bloomed for the first time in a decade.

The specimen, nicknamed Putricia, a portmanteau of ‘Putrid’ and ‘Patricia’, is famous for emitting an odor compared to rotting meat.

Putricia bloomed in Sydney last Friday for the first time in 10 years, prompting city folk to flock to the Royal Botanic Gardens for a selfie and a sniff.

The strange plant usually blooms no more than once every few years and lasts only about a day. A specimen has not flowered in Sydney since 2010.

As the long-awaited Putricia petal display began Thursday afternoon, lines grew longer and visitors waited up to three hours.

The garden remained open until midnight Thursday to accommodate the large crowds.

“The fact that it’s so huge, it takes so long (to bloom), and it smells so bad it attracts people,” Sydney Botanic Gardens head Brett Summerell said.

“I liken the smell to a dead possum,” he said.

The specimen, nicknamed Putricia, a portmanteau of ‘putrid’ and ‘Patricia’, is famous for emitting an odor compared to rotting meat.

1737714098 517 Thousands queue for a sniff of Putricia Corpse flower that

People are seen queuing outside the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney to view the corpse flower on January 24, 2025 in Sydney, Australia

Found only in the rainforests of Western Sumatra, the rare and endangered corpse flower plant is recognized by the smell of rotting, rotting flesh that surrounds the flowers when it blooms.

Found only in the rainforests of Western Sumatra, the rare and endangered corpse flower plant is recognized by the smell of rotting, rotting flesh that surrounds the flowers when it blooms.

People have described the smell as damp socks, hot cat food, or rotting possum meat.

People have described the smell as damp socks, hot cat food, or rotting possum meat.

Sydney resident Rebecca McGee-Collett, who waited 90 minutes to see the flower on Thursday night, said the flower was beautiful but the smell was “like hot garbage”.

John Siemon, director of horticulture and housing collections at the gardens, compared the spectacle to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, saying “we’ve had 15,000 people come through the gates before (the flower) even opened.”

A live stream of the plant racked up nearly a million views as food trucks selling iced and cold drinks lined the streets outside and volunteers handed out fliers to excited visitors.

Every few minutes, 25 people were let into the building to have their allotted time with Putricia as the pungent smell strengthened by the hour.

Once inside, fans were greeted with the sounds of soft, classical music, a red carpet and a velvet rope.

Images from inside the botanical garden show the plant standing proud as small puffs of mist emanate from beneath it, designed to replicate the humidity of Indonesia, where the species is found in the wild.

The scientific name of the corpse flower is Amorphophallus titanum, which translates to a large, deformed penis, due to its phallic tip.

The large flower features striated crimson petals and can measure more than three feet across with a pointed central stem that can exceed 10 feet.

Every few minutes, 25 people were dropped off at the building for their allotted time with Putricia as the pungent smell strengthened by the hour.

Every few minutes, 25 people were dropped off at the building for their allotted time with Putricia as the pungent smell strengthened by the hour.

Bunga Bankai (Indonesia), Titan Arum or Amorphophallus Titanum Flowers for only 24 hours, once every few years

Bunga Bankai (Indonesia), Titan Arum or Amorphophallus Titanum Flowers for only 24 hours, once every few years

1737714100 880 Thousands queue for a sniff of Putricia Corpse flower that

Visitors seen taking photos of the corpse flower blossom at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Images from inside the botanical garden show the plant standing proud as small puffs of mist emanated from beneath it.

Images from inside the botanical garden show the plant standing proud as small puffs of mist emanated from beneath it.

Hundreds of visitors seen queuing to witness the blooming of the corpse flower

Hundreds of visitors seen queuing to witness the blooming of the corpse flower

The large flower features striated crimson petals and can measure more than three feet across with a pointed central stem that can exceed 10 feet.

The large flower features striated crimson petals and can measure more than three feet across with a pointed central stem that can exceed 10 feet.

talking to The GuardianChief Scientist at the Royal Botanic Garden, Professor Brett Summerell, said he had only witnessed a corpse flower bloom five times during his 35 years in the job.

“Something that happens so rarely is always a special occasion,” he said.

“You go out and everything stinks, I’ve heard stories of people being very sensitive to nausea… it’s never affected me this badly, but to each their own,” he added.

Within a few days, Putricia will shrivel and collapse and eventually a new single leaf will be produced. But it may take years until she has the energy to bloom again.

When in flower, the plant’s long yellow spade gives off a strong odor, often compared to the smell of rotting meat, to trick pollinators into landing on what they believe is rotting meat so they can move it. pollen between male and female specimens.

It is endangered in the wild due to deforestation and land degradation.

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