Amorphophallus Titanum or Titan Arum (known as Bunga Bangkai in Indonesian) is one of those endemic plants from Indonesia. Titan arum is called as a corpse flower because its flower smells like a rotting corpse, attracting carrion-eating beetles and flesh flies that pollinate it. This flower is often thought to be the same as Rafflesia arnoldii because its flower is large and emits a repulsive odor, similar to that of rotting meat, but actually, they are pretty much different from form, biological nature, and life cycle.

The corpse flower is a group of plants of the family of Araceae. They have tubers, stems, and roots, so they can feed themselves. Titan arum undergoes two phases in their life cycle that appear alternately and continuously – vegetative (asexual) and generative (sexual) phases. This flower has a massive inflorescence (flowering structure) consisting of a spathe (collar-like structure) wrapped around a spadix (flower-bearing spike). The spathe is the shape of an upturned bell. It is green speckled with cream on the outside, and rich crimson on the inside. It has ribbed sides and a frilled edge, and can be up to three metres in circumference. The flowers are carried on the lower end of the greyish-yellow spadix. Titan arum can reach over 3 metres in height with a diameter of about 1.5 metres. Its flowering is rare and unpredictable, requires 7-10 years of vegetative growth before blooming for the first time. After its initial blooming, there can be considerable variation in blooming frequency. Some plants may not bloom again for another 7-10 years while others may bloom every 2-3 years. Once they bloom, the period only take 2-7 days.

Titan arum was first discovered in 1878 on the island of Sumatra (Indonesia) by an Italian botanist, Odoardo Beccari. This type of corpse is very endemic that can only be found in relatively small and limited geographical areas. The flower can be found in the rainforests of Sumatra, on steep hillsides, at 120 to 365 m above sea level. Although its natural habitat is on the island of Sumatra, but some type of corpse flowers have been planted and cultivated in several places outside the island of Sumatra, even abroad, for the purposes of conservation and research. In Indonesia itself, Titan arum has been cultivated since 1954 at Bogor Botanical Gardens as an ex situ conservation effort. Titan arum has bloomed approximately 13 times at Bogor Botanical Gardens.

Due to its declined numbers and reduced habitats, Titan arum is classified as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Plants. The main threat is the damage and loss of their natural habitat. As of now, the Sumatran rainforests are under major threat of deforestation as huge areas are logged for timber to clear space for palm oil plantations. In fact, it is estimated that around 72 percent of the original rainforests in Indonesia have been cleared out and the scale of deforestation continues at an alarming rate. Titan arum could become endangered, however, if the factors threatening its survival and reproduction do not improve.

At the end of 2016, my family and I were not only get the opportunity to see Rafflesia arnoldii in real life, but also had a chance to see 2 beautiful corpse flowers in the protected forest areas in Taba Penanjung, Central Bengkulu. Unfortunately, at that time, the corpse flowers have not bloomed yet. The first and second photos below are the pictures were taken by me. It can be seen that the 2 foul-smelling flowers grew in a very close place. Eventhough I could not see their blooming stage, but I am greatly pleased to have looked into one more of Indonesian endemic plants again. 

Sources :

https://www.wwf.or.id/program/spesies/bunga_bangkai/

https://www.livescience.com/51947-corpse-flower-facts-about-the-smelly-plant.html

https://www.mongabay.co.id/2017/11/13/titan-arum-bunga-bangkai-yang-bikin-penasaran/

Images :

1.        Picture was taken by me

2.        Picture was taken by me

3.        Kebun Raya Bogor – LIPI (https://www.mongabay.co.id/2017/11/13/titan-arum-bunga-bangkai-yang-bikin-penasaran/)