Lavender, jasmine, rose, mimosa, ylang-ylang; flowers whose fragrances have been exploited by designers like Chanel and Givenchy to conjure up a lady’s signature scent. There is one flower, however, whose scent will never be captured in haute couture perfume; an evolutionary marvel, Amorphophallus titanum, affectionately known as “titan arum” or “corpse flower.”
The “corpse flower” is found on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Like its name suggests, the flower emits an odor reminiscent of rotting flesh and sewage (some people are said to have fainted from getting too strong of a whiff) up to eight hours after blooming to attract carrion beetles and pollinators. The insects try to lay their eggs in the flesh of the flower, and in so doing pick up pollen from the flower and in their travels, pollinate another flower of the same species.
The flower is one of the largest in the world, reaching nearly two metres in height. Cultivated flowers have been known to grow at a rate of at least 15 centimetres a day. The bloom of the corpse flower is a vibrant maroon, to mimic rotting flesh and reinforce the façade.
It is said that scent is the strongest sense linked to memory. Perhaps, then, “essence of corpse” should be made into an eau de toilette; it will certainly make the wearer unforgettable.
-Jennifer Bates
