top of page
Mar 20, 2016

Naturally Unusual: The Corpse Flower


*image is from http://images.natureworldnews.com/data/images/full/17905/corpse-flower.jpg?w=600

Speaking of corpses and horrid smells, I half expected to see my youngest child laying in stench and with flies buzzing around her a couple of times this last week. Someone in my family had finally caught that icky virus that was going around and brought it home. It's at times like these that I can't help but recall the way a former friend described a similar experience they had a couple of years ago. They said that thing is EVIL(they did it with one of those dramatised voices too, ha!). My mind wanders again to what I though I heard someone try teach me once about less modern societies or people of ancient times. Before the more thorough knowledge of modern medicine and modern science, in some places and times, it was previously thought that any illness was actually an evil spirit that was posessing a person. EVIL. Treatments involved attempts to banish or appease a spirit or call good spirits for help (nope, no references here)

I haven't caught it yet but I wonder every day when exactly it's going to be me that will be on their knees and bent over the porcelain or running there to ensure I don't shit my pants. It's a horrible thought, I know, but it's been like something out of exorcist. Nonetheless, yes, we are all alive and somewhat well, but as you can see we are still left feeling a little dramatic from the whole experience. The evil prescence still loiters in our midsts, a little, and influences our choices.

As for the corpse plant, I was watching CSI re-runs a couple of months ago and during one of the episodes the Corpse Flower got a couple of minutes of fame. The team came across this flower which was said to of smelt like a rotting corpse and was perfect hiding (or explaining) the smell of hidden rotting bodies. In passing and with the brief mention it had that was all there really is to it. Although there wasn't too much more to it I was still interested in reading up on it more. Have a look at this video, kindly presented to you by National Geographic.

So, a bit more tolerable by day, but still stinky and absolutely horrid by night. What sane person would want one in their backyard anyway unless they really were covering the smell of real rotting corpses? Apparently they are also rare. Hmmmm... I wonder if there's a link there between it's smell and popularity. Is it just me or are the more popular flowers often more cultivated..?

I think there's one hosted at the Adelaide Botanical Gardens right now! Check it out at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-02/smelly-corpse-flower-draws-late-night-visitors-adelaide/7131938

Or maybe you could go see it in person.

Good luck with the virus 'thing', if you catch it. You're gonna need it.

-Mez

Other Links

Tags:

bottom of page