‘Our queen’: Famous corpse flower draws massive crowds in Sydney
Huge crowds have been spotted in Sydney, as thousands queue up to fest their eyes on a rare event not seen in the city for the last 15 years.
The blooming of an ultra-stinky corpse flower has drawn massive crowds in Sydney as thousands flock to marvel at its unique rotting stench.
The endangered plant, affectionately dubbed ‘Putricia’ due to its putrid smell, finally began blooming at the Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) in Sydney on Thursday, sending patient fans around the world into a flurry.
Corpse flowers, also known as ‘Amorphophallus titanium’, or ‘Bunga Bangkai’, only unfurl their petals every few years for just 24-48 hours, releasing a strong odour – most commonly compared to rotting flesh or dirty socks – to attract insects.
The rare event, which last occurred in Sydney 15 years ago, has attracted 16,000 visitors to the RBG, where the flower has been on display in front of a velvet curtain since last Friday.
Footage shared online shows snaking queues of people, some waiting for over an hour, to enter RBG’s Palm House to get a glimpse and sniff of the famous flower.
“Corpse flower day two HUGE line, 9am,” Instagram page Bondi Lines captioned footage of the incredible crowds.
“Didn’t realise there were so many budding botanists in Sydney.”
Eager fans who are yet experience Putricia in all her gloy might want to get in quick.
According to the RBG’s website, Friday is the last day the flower will be on display.
In an update at 10.15am, it said visitors were waiting approximately 90 minutes to see the flower.
“Closing time TBC dependent on Putricia and crowd numbers,” it wrote.
Video of flower captivates the world
Over the past few days, thousands of people around the world have tuned into a live stream, watching and waiting for Putricia to unfurl.
“All hail Putricia,” one person commented on the livestream on Thursday, which was being watched by over 7,000 people at the time.
“Putricia is our queen,” said another.
“So proud of her,” another commented.
“I would wait years for her,” another devoted fan added.
In a welcome update on Thursday afternoon, RBG finally announced the endangered plant had officially begun blooming.
“Update 1.30pm: The time has finally come! Putricia has started to bloom,” it wrote on Instagram.
Many were quick to flock to the live stream to witness the rare sight and commend Putricia on the “great work”.
“SHE’S SO BIG,” one person wrote.
“She’s looking gorgeous,” said another.
“Living up to her name, what a queen,” another wrote.
News.com.au’s Entertainment Editor Nick Bond said the livestream has been “the most-watched TV show in our household this week”.
“I think there’s something quite meditative about it – absolutely nothing happens, but there’s also the anticipation knowing something will happen at some stage,” he said.
The flower was originally predicted to bloom between Saturday 18 and Monday 20 January.
“We’re super excited here because we haven’t had a corpse flower bloom in over 15 years,” Sophie Daniel, Manager of Interpretation & Placemaking at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney said in a video on Instagram.
“Putricia is astounding. She is glorious, she is stunning.”
Botanic Gardens of Sydney chief scientist Professor Brett Summerell said the distinctive smell was intended to entice pollinators like flies and other insects that “like to lay their eggs in rotting meat”, transferring pollen in the process to ensure the continuation of life.
It’s not just the odour that lures in its reproductive friends – the deep crimson petals that are unfurled once the flower blooms also resemble rotting flesh and blood, and its base excretes balmy temperatures of 38C to further amplify the scent.
“It’s amazing if you think about it,” Professor Summerell told NCA Newswire.
Because the plant is intended to grow in humid conditions, transferring the plant from the warmth of its usual glasshouse to the new location for its grand debut may have caused a delay in the flower’s bloom.
To combat the change in conditions, scientists placed a misting machine at the base of the pant, which pumps out water vapour to maintain the appropriate humidity levels for Putricia.
‘Wet socks, day old vomit’
Describing the stench ahead of the blooming, Paul Nicholson, manager of the RBG’s volunteer programs, said: “If you’ve got some wet teenage socks, throw that into a blender, then you get some cat food you’ve left out in the sun, whack that in your blender, and then get some day old vomit.
“Put that in the blender, blend it all up, and rip the lid off. That’s the kind of smell you’re getting.”
But, he added: “It’s actually stunningly beautiful as well.”
There is a good reason for the stink. The plant looks to attract carrion-eating beetles and flesh flies which pollinate the flowers within the spathe. The smell can be detected by these insects more than a kilometre away.
The deep red of the spathe also mimics meat, tricking the insects into thinking they are landing on flesh.
Several botanic gardens across the country have the flower in their collections.
The plant originates from the Indonesian island of Sumatra and there are less than 1000 corpse plants in the wild.
– With NCA NewsWire
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