RE: Amorphophallus titanum flowering at Selby Gardens

From: Wilbert Hetterscheid <hetter at vkc.nl> on 1999.05.17 at 18:10:38(3364) Ah, so it IS going to flower! Well, that makes my previous message superfluous. That's what you get when you leave town........ Cheers, Wilbert +More > ---------- > From: SelbyHort@aol.com[SMTP:SelbyHort@aol.com] > Reply To: aroid-l@mobot.org > Sent: maandag 10 mei 1999 23:21 > To: hetter@VKC.NL > Subject: Amorphophallus titanum flowering at Selby Gardens > > Here is a copy of our latest press release. The largest bud is now > showing > spathe and spadix through an opening in the outer sheaths and is about > 35 > inches tall, growing about 3-4 inches per day. Based upon flowering > data from > Fairchild Tropical Garden and Atlanta Botanical Garden, our largest > bud > should be open in about 10-12 days. The smaller may be up to a week > later, so > we are planning a pollination attempt. Stay tuned to our web site at: > www.selby.org > > Donna Atwood > Selby Gardens > 8aa S. Palm Ave. > Sarasota, FL 34236 > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > COLOSSAL BOTANICAL SUPERSTARS PREPARE TO FLOWER > AT MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL GARDENS > > The Titan arum, or Amorphophallus titanum, considered by some to > be > the world?s largest flower, is rapidly developing its immense bloom > at Selby > Gardens. Sometime during mid-May, this bizarre behemoth of the plant > world > will unfold a frilled crimson pleated bud encasing a towering columnar > > spadix, rising from the center, ultimately reaching a predicted height > of > seven feet or more. This rare flowering event has only occurred 7 > times > during this century in the United States. It is a true botanical > wonder! > Over the next two weeks, the Titan Arum, known only from Sumatra > but > a close relative of the more familiar Jack-in-the-Pulpit, will > vigorously > unfurl its complex inflorescence composed of hundreds of individual > male and > female flowers. During this time, the bud will grow about 4 inches a > day, > but the full flowering will last only 48 hours, afterwards collapsing > dramatically of its own weight. > This event promises even greater titillation than all others of > this > kind, as Selby will have TWO of these magnificent monsters in bloom! > Because > all living organisms vary, both plants may not reach their peak > flowering on > exactly the same day. But this lapse of a few days between the > critical > point will allow Selby?s horticulturists an unprecedented opportunity > to > hand-pollinate one of the plants by transferring pollen from male > flowers of > one plant to female flowers of the other. Never before has the Titan > Arum > yielded seeds in cultivation, so this planned attempt, if successful, > will be > a first! > Visitors can view the flowering giants in the trellis area just > outside the doors of Selby?s Display House, beginning Thursday, May 6, > 1999, > from 10 AM to 5 PM daily, until the end of flowering which is > predicted to be > sometime around May 20-25. It is not yet certain exactly how long > this > amazing display will last, so visitors are advised to call > 941-366-2815 for a > recorded message with daily progress reports. For images and updates > throughout the flowering event check Selby's web page at: > www.selby.org >

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