Visiting Morphy
Road trip to see the blooming Amorphophallus titanum at Dartmouth College
The Amorphophallus titanum is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world. This plant is in the Araceae family, a strange group that includes plants that can produce heat and often smell like rotting flesh. The heat and unique perfume attract carrion beetles and flies that assist in pollination.
When I learned that "Morphy" was blooming at Dartmouth College, I planned a road trip. I monitored the flowering process via a greenhouse webcam to choose the perfect time for the trip, but was delayed by weekend plans. When we arrived the spadix had flopped over and the flower was shriveling up.
It takes 7 to 10 years for a titan arum to bloom in cultivation and erratically in subsequent years. "Morphy" became a tourist attraction for the college with a steady stream of visitors.
High Pressure Sodium lights (HPS) illuminate the greenhouse. The intense yellow light confounded my camera's white balance, I attempted to compensate in Lightroom , but most of the plant photos have an odd hue.
The staff removed a section of the plant to reveal the bands of male and female flower.
The Amorphophallus is located in the ante area of the greenhouse. The greenhouse has several rooms with different climate conditions, tropical, temperate, dry, cool and warm.
The Greenhouse is locate on the top floor of the Life Science building at Dartmouth College.
