Images can be enlarged by clicking on them.
After months of anticipation and suspense,
officials at the Huntington Botanical Gardens announced on January
26, 2000, that the rare Amorphophallus titanum has produced
seeds —
an event that was hoped for but by no means guaranteed.
It is believed to be the first time the species has ever reproduced through self-pollination (fertilization with its own pollen), as opposed to cross-pollination (with the pollen of a second plant).
"I was very skeptical that we would
get any seeds," said Kathy Musial, curator of plant collections
at The Huntington. "I felt it would be a miracle if the
self-pollination experiment worked. But it did, and it's a botanical
first."
[ TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
OF THE POLLINATION CHRONOLOGY ]
After the plant's blooming cycle had been completed in August 1999, the Amorphophallus titanum was retired from public display and returned to the greenhouse to await fruit development. During the fall, round orange fruit began to develop — in pollinated and unpollinated areas. Dissection of a few unripe samples revealed only pulp and no developing seed. This appeared to indicate that the pollinated fruits might not bear seeds at all. However, botanists had to wait until the fruit was fully mature before they could be certain.
Several of the fully ripened (and poisonous)
fruits were harvested, and staff members were excited to discover
almond-sized seeds inside. The seemingly mundane event has great
botanical significance, as these are the first seeds ever known
to have been produced by an Amorphophallus titanum through
self-pollination.
"It's the horticultural equivalent of Dolly the cloned lamb," noted John Trager, curator of the desert collection. He added, "It's very rewarding to be able to propagate a plant which is endangered in nature by habitat destruction and human consumption."
The
corm, or bulb, of the Amorphophallus titanum was repotted
to grow again. It measures approximately 15 inches in diameter
and weighs about 36 pounds. This photographed shows the corm
from above, prior to repotting.
It is not known whether The Huntington's famous "Corpse Flower" will ever bloom again. But one thing is certain: its seeds will be propagated and a new generation of plants will be grown, providing botanists with new opportunities for scientific study, and inspiring awestruck observers around the world with renewed appreciation for the wonder and diversity of the plant kingdom.
Seedlings Sprout
Two
new arrivals in the botanical nursery at The Huntington represent
an exciting scientific premiere: the first seedlings of an Amorphophallus
titanum produced through self pollination. On May 15, 2000,
the first sprout from a seed planted January 24 broke ground.
A second seedling, planted January 25, emerged on May 30. In
this image taken on June 8, the plant on the left is four and
a half inches tall while the plant on the right is one and a
half inches. The sprouts each have one leaf with five leaflets
or parts, as does a mature Amorphophallus.
Each
one of these tiny plants holds the potential to reach the gigantic
proportions of the "Big Stinky," but will not be mature
enough to bloom for six to ten years. Until then, they will be
carefully nurtured in The Huntington greenhouses. In this image,
the nursery manager, Theresa Trunnelle, is monitoring the seedling’s
soil temperature. One day we hope to place the plants on display
in the new botanical science conservatory, due to be finished
in 2003.