1-meter-wide flower 'to bloom soon' in Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Flower lovers are in for a rare visual treat--but perhaps not an olfactory one.

An Amorphophallus titanum, a mega-flower known as the world's largest, is expected to bloom soon for the first time in nearly 20 years at a Tokyo botanical garden. But visitors should not expect a sweet perfume, as the inflorescence gives off the scent of decaying flesh.

Native to Sumatra, Indonesia, the flower has the world's largest unbranched inflorescence and is said to bloom once every few years in the wild. Specimens in Japan bloom much less frequently.

The plant at the Koishikawa Botanical Garden, officially called the Botanical Gardens of the Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, last bloomed in 1991. The garden said the tropical plant is likely to spread its petals as early as Saturday.

The plant has grown 129 centimeters tall and has a 91-centimeter diameter.

Amorphophallus titanum is a species of the Araceae family. The scent of decaying flesh it emits attracts insects for pollination. If the plant blooms, the garden plans to hold public viewings, even on regular holidays.