The rotting smell of the carrion flower, as in Raflesia, serves to pull the beetle and flower pollinator flies.
After its blooming period (about 7 days), the carcass flower will wither and again repeat its life cycle, with new trees growing on top of the dead dead carcass.
The height of the carrion flower can reach about 4 m with a diameter of about 1.5 meters.
Most vultures are endemic species
Can be cultivated
The most recognizable type of carcass flower is the giant suweg or Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum). Titan arum is the endemic flora of Sumatera Island, spread mainly in Bengkulu and Lampung areas and is categorized as vulnerable in the IUCN red list
Morphological description
Although the size of the carcass flower (Amorphophallus titanum) is greater than Raflesia Rafflesia arnoldii flowers, the largest non-flower carcass flower, because the actual carcass flower consists of thousands of small flowers that grow on the same stem. The carcass is not a single flower, but it belongs to a kind of compound interest (inflorescence). The towering part (cob or spadix) on the flower actually consists of a small flower colony. Although both foul-smelling, carrion flowers are different from Raflesia flowers, both from biological classification, color, way of life, and life cycle.
The carcass flower undergoes two phases in life that appear alternately and continuously, ie vegetative (asexual) and generative (sexual) phases. During the vegetative phase, on top of the bulbs will appear a single stem and leaves that are as a whole and at first glance similar to papaya trees. Carrion flowers can reach a height of about 2 meters with a crown ranges of 1-5 meters. Nevertheless, the Cibodas Botanical Garden of Indonesia has announced that the flowers that bloom there reached a height of 3.17 m on March 11, 2004.
The process of growing from seed to flower takes three years. If during the bloom period of the carcass batang conception, it will form red fruit with seeds on the former base of the flower. These seeds can be planted into trees in the vegetative phase. These seeds are now cultivated.
Ecology and habitat
Carrion flower is generally a typical lowland plants that grow in tropical and subtropical climates ranging from the west African region to the Pacific Islands, including in Indonesia. Arum Titan flowers can be found in tropical forest habitat in Sumatra, especially at altitudes between 120 and 365 meters above sea level
Threat
The population of wild carcasses has diminished because of its natural habitat has undergone much conversion to agriculture, plantation and settlement. Other causes are people who feel threatened by the smell of rotten flowers, then cut the flowers and leaves.
WWF's efforts
Although WWF does not directly own the Amorphophallus conservation program, habitat conservation efforts, such as the Bukit Barisan National Park located in Sumatra, supported by WWF, are expected to preserve this unique flora in their natural habitat. Efforts to introduce various species of carrion flower to Indonesian society, especially in Sumatra, are also very important. This introduction is expected to support the cultivation of this plant so that it will survive from extinction.