Bengkulu Forest Botanical Garden of Bengkulu Forestry Service has successfully flowered two cultivated Amorphopallus titanum (Titan Arum) in Bengkulu City apart from of their habitat in Kepahiang Regency of Bengkulu Province.The first flower bloomed on October 28, located at the Bengkulu Forest Botanical Garden about 10 km from city central. The size of this flower measured to be 2.80 m tall. Meanwhile, the second flower bloomed today (November 8) located at the office backyard of Bengkulu Forest Botanical Garden about 4 km from city central and has the size of 2.00 m tall.
 |
Amorphopallus Titanum that blooms today.
The size of this flower is 2.00 meter tall |
|
 |
Amorphopallus Titanum that blooms on 28 October 2011
The size of this flower is 2.80 meter tall |
|
According to the officer of Bengkulu Forest Botanical Garden of Bengkulu Forestry Service Mrs. Elsy Nila Rita, those cultivated amorphophallus titanum were parts of 25 amorphophallus titanums which cultivated outside their habitat as the effort to initiate the development of Rare Flower Garden in Bengkulu Forest Botanical Garden. Those plants were cultivated using amorphopallus titanum tubers which were removed from their habitat in Kepahiang regency. The tuber size was ranging from 6 kg to 105 kg. The first flower bloom was from a 105 kg tuber, meanwhile the second was from 30 kg tuber. All the tubers of these bloomed flower were cultivated on 28 June 2011 (4.5 month ago).
Amorphophallus titanum is known to be the largest unbranched inflorescence flowering plant in the world. Its native is from the rainforest of western part of Sumatera Indonesia (Kepahiang Regency of Bengkulu Province is the most renowned place for its habitat). It is discovered by Italian Botanist Odoardo Beccari in Sumatera in 1878.
In my previous article about Rafflesia arnoldii, i have mentioned that Rafflesia arnoldii is the world's largest flower. This is the time i want to show why titan arum is not the world's largest flower even if by the looks it seem that this flower is much bigger then rafflesia arnoldii.
 |
| Top view of Amorphophallus Titanum Inflorescence |
In amorphophallus titanum, the thing looks similar to an obelisk which grow from the base of flower is called the spadix. Meanwhile , the large, frilly-edged, leafy skirt coloring maroon upside and whiter green downside enclosing the spadix is the spathe.
 |
| Spadix and spathe |
At the base of the spadix, you can see below that there are numbers of the real Amorphophallus titanum flower. It can be hundreds or thousands in number, but you see...they are all small. Those small flowers are attached at the base of a very tall unbranched inflorescence called spadix than covered by that beautiful large maroon spathe forming a giant looks flower to hide the fact that they are small !. The Great giant Amorphophallus titanum flower actually is small!. That's why we call Raflessia Arnoldii is the largest flower in the world. But lucky for me, these two flowers are native to Bengkulu rainforest, so that i can see them both when they blooms as long as the local news report it.
 |
| Female flowers of Amorphophallus Titanum |
Amorphophallus Titanum is rarely set seeds because the female flowers open first, but by the time the male florets reproducing pollens, the female flowers are no longer receptive. In order to pollinating, the female flowers need the pollens from other amorphophalus titanum male florets which has almost similarly bloom time.
Copyright 2011 (c) nurul iman supardi
e-mail : nurulimanunib@gmail.com
________________________________________________________________________________
Related Post :
Dear nurul,
ReplyDeleteI dont think this success for cultivation out side habitat, because Botanical garden in Bengkulu is include in range Amorphophallus habitat area, western of sumatra especially, event rare report have occur in other part of sumatra.
The true one, for botanical information, amorphophallus is the biggest flowers of the world, but for indonesia area information make some time propaganda it the biggest flowers due minimize knowledge, just sponataneous opinion and hear from some one else.
Rafflesia arnoldii is the biggest parasit flowers, yes thats is true, but for non parasit plant, amorphophallus the biggest one.
Amorhophallus come from word a morph and phallus thats mean sebua bentuk penis (kemaluan pria) that no perfectly in form.
Tian meaning like giant or ginatic. so for free translate menaing amorphophallus is super big penis imperfectly form.
The last photo thats you say small flowers, thats not flowwers, but part of sexual or reproduction of this flowers. thats part male and female of amorphophalus titanum.
Hope apology with my poor english.
regard
tun jang
Thanks you for your correction about the habitat location. But to my opinion, when a species is brought out to a new place where it never been before is still categorized out of habitat, because the species will be facing new environtment such as temperature,soil and the important thing is the ability to sustain its species existence.
ReplyDeleteAbout the largest flower, i refer from wikipedia that state amorphophallus titanum is the LARGEST UNBRANCHHED INFLORESCENCE, means it is not the largest flower.
We hope a more justified answer will come to this space to make a flawless understanding about this matter.