Amorphophallus yunnanensis

[likespaphs]

bloomed this
inflorescence grows a few inches each night!

this bottom photo shows the male and females flowers. flowers on plants in the Philodendron family have compound flowers. what often happens is first the female flowers (yellow pointed things in the bottom of the photo) are viable for a day or so. when they are no longer viable, the male flowers (just above the female flowers) give off their pollen.

 

[parvi_17]

These are so cool. I've always wanted one. Thanks for posting!

 

[goldenrose]

:clap: How weird & bizarre - don't ya just love it! :clap:

 

[etex]

Very unusual!! Cool in a kinky kind of way!

 

[lienluu]

Does it smell? Most of my amorphos are stilling to bloom now too. In a few weeks, my greenhouse will be full of the aroma of amorphos...

 

[SlipperFan]

Crazy plant!

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Cool! How long have you been growing it?

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Great...I have A. bulbifer and A. konjac...both outdoors. They come up every year (very late, in the case of konjac) but they have never bloomed, even after many years.

 

[NYEric]

THanx for sharing!

 

[paphjoint]

Very strange !

 

[Leo Schordje]

Great...I have A. bulbifer and A. konjac...both outdoors. They come up every year (very late, in the case of konjac) but they have never bloomed, even after many years.

I saw the Amorphothallis titanum (spelling?) at UW Madison and talked with the folks at the botany dept there. They bloom when the plant has stored sufficient food in the bulb to bloom. Only in the warmest of climate with ideal weather do they bloom every year. My guess is that while A. konjac & bulbifer will tolerate your NY winter, the summer growing season is just not warm enough for long enough to build up reserves of food in the bulb. Eventually they will get there, but as you have said, it will take many years.

If there were a way to extend the growing period at either the beginning or end of the season, you might be able to move them along toward blooming. You have most of the battle won, they are not dying.

 

[likespaphs]

i've been growing this one only about six months so it probably came to me ready to bloom.
i haven't noticed a smell from it
i have a bulbifer that's sending off an inflorescence too though!

 

[Leo Schordje]

i've been growing this one only about six months so it probably came to me ready to bloom.
i haven't noticed a smell from it
i have a bulbifer that's sending off an inflorescence too though!

Smell may come strongest when the female flowers are ready to be pollenated, it might be just a few hours in the warm part of the afternoon. I have not personally had my nose in this species, so it might not be as bad as some of the others.

When the bulbifer opens, please post a picture. It should be wild.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

I have had the bulbifer for many years....I used to grow it indoors, so it had a theoretically longer season...it never bloomed, even after several years. When I found out that it was winter hardy, I planted it outdoors. No change...interestingly enough, I can't say that it has a much shorter season outside, in terms of when it grows. On the other hand, konjac doesn't emerge until late June/early July....but its huge...last growth was about 2 feet high and close to 3 feet across......

 

[Leo Schordje]

. On the other hand, konjac doesn't emerge until late June/early July....but its huge...last growth was about 2 feet high and close to 3 feet across......

You might not have to wait much longer.

 

[likespaphs]

You might not have to wait much longer.

i was thinkin' the same thing.....

 

[likespaphs]

there's a chance this sucker got pollinated.
either that or the inflorescence will fade within a few days....

 

[NYEric]

Was it smelly?

 

[likespaphs]

nope

 

[NYEric]

Hmmm, kind of a let down.