SINGAPORE, Sept 18 — Yesterday marked the fascinating flowering of Amorphophallus ‘John Tan’ — the first successful hybrid of the ‘corpse flower’ or Amorphophallus titanum.

Named in honour of Singaporean John Tan Jiew Hoe for his generous support of the Amorphophallus hybridisation programme, Amorphophallus ‘John Tan’ is a cross between the Amorphophallus titanum and Amorphophallus variabilis.

It is known to grow at a rate of about 9cm per day and its flowering is unpredictable.

The hybrid at Gardens by the Bay park — a first in Singapore — measured 205cm at the time of flowering.

Donated by Tan, it is currently on display in the “Cloud Forest” cooled conservatory and its flower is estimated to last for about two to three days only.

Amorphophallus is a genus of some 200 tropical and subtropical tuberous herbaceous plants from the Arum family (Araceae).

The Amorphophallus titanum, also known as ‘corpse flower’, produces one of the largest flowers in the world that emits a foul smell similar to decaying meat. It originates from Sumatra, Indonesia.

The Amorphophallus variabilis, found in Indonesia and the Philippines, is reportedly a food source in Java.

Its flower produces a durian-like smell to attract pollinators. — Bernama