ToxiN Talk
In this column, Ace talks about toxins and their symbolism, sometimes.
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Corpse Flowers
Corpse Flowers
By Ace Case
By Ace Case
Living things have always come up with interesting ways to stay alive, defend themselves, and reproduce. In the case of animals, that may be growing claws or sharp teeth. Other times, it is a nice-smelling flower attracting pollinators. In the case of corpse flowers, they attract pollinators with an odor, but not the greatest one. Corpse flowers smell like, well, a corpse. But there are multiple types of corpse flowers all under the same name, no matter how different they may be.
The first, and arguably the most popular of the corpse flowers, is the Titan Arum. Its longer scientific name, Amorphophallus titanum, is derived from Ancient Greek and has a meaning I am not allowed to repeat in an article. Titan Arum is native to Indonesia and Sumatra and takes seven to ten years to grow from seed to full bloom. After all those years, the bloom only lasts a couple of days. Additionally, the distinct scent of rotting flesh it produces draws crowds that only last for about a day of the bloom, anyway. At full size, Titan Arum weighs about 200 lbs., can reach ten feet tall, and may have a bloom diameter of five feet. After a bloom, the flower will take another nine months to grow ripe fruit. Eating these fruits may not be the smartest idea; the bite-sized fruits may look pretty with their red-orange color, but they contain calcium oxalate crystals--which, as the National Library of Medicine explains, “may pierce the mouth, throat, and digestive tract as they pass through and cause an intense discomfort, produce pain and edema.” So the fruits are pretty, yes, but maybe not the best snack. After the plant's initial bloom, it may bloom again in three to seven years, since the flower has already reached full size and will not need to spend time doing so again.
Titan Arum from Britannica
The Dracunculus Vulgaris is a corpse flower from the same family as Titan Arum, the Araceae family. Its scientific name has a translation that is allowed in an article, unlike the previous one: Little Dragon. Dracunculus is also referred to by many nicknames like the stink lily, voodoo lily, and dragon lily. The dragon lily has some similarities to the titan arum; the two plants are in the same family, after all. Their toxins, for example, are the same, since almost all plants in the Araceae family contain calcium oxalate. The dragon lily is very different in size and appearance, being only two to three feet tall. Roger Seymour, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Adelaide, describes the flower as having “an extraordinary appearance, with an erect, dark purple spike... suspended over a liver-coloured, velvety spade.” The dragon lily has very deep purple and red colors on the bloom, while the leaves and stems that support it are green and typically blend in with the plants that grow around it. Like its Titan Arum relative, Vulgaris also grows small, warm-colored berries. Unlike its relatives, Vularis’ berries are pear-shaped rather than olive-shaped. But they are still probably not the best snack.
The Rafflesia Arnoldii, or monster flower, is a corpse flower in the Rafflesiaceae family. This family of flowers is parasitic. According to the Royal Botanical Gardens, “Rafflesia Arnoldi has no leaves, stems or roots, and is a parasitic plant that grows on vines in the genus Tetrastigma.” While it may not seem like a flower without leaves or roots, Rafflesia is named the largest flower in the world. Rafflesia Arnoldii is a bright orange flower with five petals. It can grow up to three meters wide and weigh up to 15 lbs., and the petals of this flower have white spots. Rafflesia only blooms for a week, and, surprise, gives off an odor of rotting flesh for about the first day or so. Rafflesia also contains a poison like the other corpse flowers, but rather than calcium oxalate, they contain tannic acid. Of course, tannic acid can be toxic and even lethal, but as Laura Hexley said, “The difference between good medicine and poison is the dosage.” In fact, the National Library of Medicine found that “TA was found to repress several hallmarks of lung cancer in vitro such as the repression of cellular viability, invasion, colony forming ability, migration and cancer cells’ stemness.” So the acid has been used in cancer treatment. Still, don’t eat the flower, though.
Many flowers live under the corpse flower name. They come from different families, but they are similar in some ways; they only bloom for a day or two, they are toxic in some way, and they all smell like a rotting corpse for that day or two of blooming.
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