Some Like it Hot!
“My love of plants and nature has been part of my life from my earliest memories. This love has afforded me the privilege of working with them every day.”
– Pieter van der Walt @euphoric flora
– Pieter van der Walt @euphoric flora
“Will you walk into my parlour? said the Corpse Flower to the Fly, ‘Tis the warmest little parlour that ever you did spy.”
Corpse flowers, known botanically as , along with several other members) have evolved the uncanny ability to heat their reproductive organs to lure pollinators into becoming non-consenting pollen carriers! This amazing feat, known as thermogenesis, is achieved by burning carbohydrates in a section of the spadix containing sterile male flowers, through a complex and surprisingly animal-like process. While most can heat their flowers a few degrees, one species is known to reach a steamy 21.7° C above ambient temperature. The heat helps to volatise and spread their floral scents which range from fruity to putrid, to attract their unsuspecting victims.
