3.6m꽃,시체 냄새가 인파를..

AP - Sun Nov 20, 4:05 PM ET

People file past the giant plant, Amorphophallus titanum, more commonly know as 'titan arum,'

at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005. The plant, native

to the tropical rainforests of Indonesia and Sumatra, blooms on an unpredictable schedule and the

flower is well-known for smelling like rotting meat. This is the first time this plant has ever bloomed.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh

그 참 신기한 일이네 열대 우림지역 인도네시아 수마트라에서 자라는 "티탄 아름"으로

더 잘 알려진 나무가 일반적으론 5년에 한 번씩 피는데 미국 식물원의 14년생은 처음으로

꽃을 피웠다고 야단법썩이라는 데. 이 나무는 꽃이 피면 그 꽃 향기가 시체 섞는 냄새

고기 부패하는 냄새 시궁창 스레기 냄새라고 그러나 그 꽃을 보고 그 냄새를 맞을려고

이틀만에 수천명을 끌어들이고 주말까진 10,000명에 이를 것이라고. 코를 막은 사람의

행렬이 줄을지어그 앞을 지나고 있다. 허 그참 고이한 일도 시체 송장 섞는 냄새가

사람을 불러들이며 이 냄새가 이 꽃의 성장 동력이라고 맹독성 풍뎅이는 시체 위에 알을

까는 데 이 나무 위에서 산란을 하며 이로 인해 다른 곤충을 부러들여 이 나무가 지탱

한다고. 거대한 꽃 모양, 지독한 냄새, 너무 아름다운 색깔이 그 이유라고 식물원 관계자는

말하고 있다. 원추형의 꽃이며 꽃 중에 가장크고 현지에서는 12피트약3.6m까지 자라며

식물원의 꽃은 일요일 이른 시간에 피기 시작했는 데 5피트약1.5m라고.

가만 그럼 인도네시아에서는 왜 여태 이를 관상목으로 개발을 못했을까, 빨리 우리

식물원에도 연락을...

Smelly 'Corpse Plant' Drawing Crowds

By JACOB ADELMAN, Associated Press Writer Sun Nov 20, 4:45 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Its scent has drawn comparisons to garbage and spoiled meat, but that isn't stopping

crowds from flocking to see _and smell ? an unusual plant in bloom at the U.S. Botanic Garden.

The titan arum plant, nicknamed "corpse plant" for its rank smell, is attracting thousands of visitors

during the day or two it remains in bloom.

"It's quite spectacular: the color and the form and the strong odor," said John Kress, chairman of the

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History's botany department, which owns the plant. "I think that's what most

people come to see. Or smell."

The long, conical bloom of the titan arum is believed to be the largest flower that doesn't grow on a tree.

It has been known to grow 12 feet high in its native habitat on the island of Sumatra.

The specimen at the botanic garden, which began blooming early Sunday, is about 5 feet high.

Now that it's in bloom, the plant has also started emitting a smell that's drawn comparisons to garbage,

spoiled meat, and rotting fish. But the plant's stench is actually the key to its survival:beetles and other

pollinators in its native Sumatra are attracted to the smell, Kress said.

"These beetles usually lay their eggs in rotting animals, so this plant pretends to be a dead animal," he said.

The smell also seems to be attracting visitors to the botanic garden. About 2,000 people had come to

the garden to see the plant by Sunday afternoon, and at least 10,000 were expected by day's end.

Visitors are also interested in the plant because they are few chances to see one, Kress said. There are

only about a dozen of the plants in the United States, he said.

A typical titan arum plant only blooms about once every five years. The one at the U.S. Botanic Garden

is blooming for the first time at age 14.

Garden visitor Charles Miehm said he came to see the plant because it seemed like a rare opportunity.

"It's not as rancid as roadkill, but it's got a pretty potent smell," he said