Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-11-29
A FLORAL colos.
y i a Miracle In Beaa., a..

oloSSuA
u IL u Miracle In Bean,.
,o-o rr"r N Perfume. sfslt
In 1878 traveller In W..
ntra., DIR. Beccari, wrote Mon ss'n SA
had discovered d plant Of ex,. w. mat
rharac'or but his letter aa0'dae
this botanical phenomeno, .u.nouucial
phophallus titanum. was ! va .as sut
one. taking into consideration 8 40dx
that he had di covered ~ las
wonder OF the vegetable III ei'ata
largest and most dis.inc.Ivs 'u-u
iiower In the world Dr. Bec...u nlqA
letter stated that he found ,bs :, ID III
tuber and dug 1t up; that i s Ssa.
feet In circumference. and -. - w
could hardly carry it--in f fso No
dropped 1t. and the tuber -. ~ lq
Dr. Beccari promised 70 ss,S S'osea
some iubers In perfect condItian a0as
does not appear that he acco,r., ~
this But seeds were sent bom p'ps
they arrived safely. shaped NJ. W
olive, one and half inches T.. 10y y
bright red In color. These SOFA a. aad
terminated in Italy. and ss WV
presented to Kew Gardens. a. s'u !.
this Seeding which has en,l,,
veloped the extraordinary -,
figured. 1t has developed from ,'''0a
ling year by year, the pIoan,,s =, 'ssa'
demanding u larger pot from 'u0'
to time, and annually prod, a
Its Titanic leaf As feet n
cumference. This leaf was !. ~
thought TO be a trunk l..
1t grew, its three br nches, as thu.
mans thigh, parted from Il IN !.
above the tuber, and proved IN ~ y,
or ribs of the leaf nearly 4 vss, nv
length. Startling as the leaf dsvs,,
ment had been, greater wonder. m.i
in reserve for the savants and the r M
lie. In March last the tuber was
ported to weigh 81 pounds. and ma
ured 4 feet 8 inches In circumferano.
In May last no signs of the u,u.l i,
development were given. but w..
proved to be the flower had beou, !.
push its way toward developms,,
Its progress at first was at the ra,s !,
an inch day; then two inches 4 A..
were added to its stature, until IN .Iuns
its upward progress was almost vishI.
Excitement among the habitues Of Ks,
Garden, and scientific men at lars.
was intense. Fancy" as an Euol.b
paper puts it, "a bud as tall and roomv
as one OF those machines which ons,
at Christmas time at Drury Lane, d,.
closing young woman in an attituds
But though many were watching h,
the unfolding of this great flower, Ia
singularly fugitive character wa
destined to disappoint even soma
OF the vigilant who happened moi
to be present during the few hours ii
its unfolding. On the last Friday IN
June last the flower began to unfold
10 spread its great toothed rim shown
in the cut, and to exhibit the wonder.
full maroon color of its lining. II wu
majestic in its beauty-there was no
doubt OF that-and by eight O'Clock
p. m. of the same day the unfolding
process was finished and the Titan Of
its race stood in its completeness. But
oh! the horror of it's SMELL which filled
the spacious greenhouse to Overlooking
and compelled even the enthusiasts to
flee hastily with handkerchief to nose
a stink such as the condemned fish Of a
great city would hesitate to emit. This
vile odor is common to all the Arod
family, to which this plant belongs Its
purpose being jointly for protection and
to induce fertilization. In this especial
case every fly and insect gathered about
in the gigantic spadix, which is the
central cone shown in the cut instantly
fertilizing the tiny blooms which clothed
it to it's summit. Boston Herald.