Foul-smelling ‘corpse flower’ blooms at U of Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A pungent plant known as a “corpse flower” is blooming at the University of Minnesota.

The titan arum started opening late Sunday afternoon at the university’s College of Biological Sciences Conservatory in St. Paul.

Minnesota Public Radio News (http://bit.ly/1PhVQwN ) reports you will have to hurry if you want to get a sniff. The bloom only lasts about 24 to 48 hours — and it could be years before the flower blooms again.

The plant is native to Sumatra’s equatorial rain forests, and emits an odour like rotting meat while it’s briefly in bloom.

The “corpse flower” can reach heights of 6 feet. It emits the stench to attract pollinators.

The conservatory will reopen at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

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Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News, http://www.mprnews.org

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