titan arum

noun

: the corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum)
The titan arum produces the stink as it tries to attract insects to pollinate the male and female flowers it holds deep inside a pod. But the rarity of the plant—and its bloom—makes the stench worth it to horticulturists, few of whom can claim the achievement of growing one.Jeremiah Dobruck

Examples of titan arum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The flower of the titan arum (Amorphophallus titanium) is the largest unbranched flower in the world and can reach up to 15 feet tall. Deb Wiley, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2024 The titan arum is a flower found only on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2023 What Smells Attract Ants? Ants and other insects are attracted to this Indonesian plant, the titan arum, thanks to its strange, decaying stench. Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2023 Known as the corpse flower or the titan arum, each of these rare plants opens up for only a few fleeting days, with several years between each bloom. Victoria Sayo Turner, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2023 Amorphophallum titanum, or the titan arum, a relative of the calla lily familiar from floral arrangements. Richard Pallardy, Discover Magazine, 15 July 2021 The giant flowering titan arum plant, which can grow up to 10 feet tall and is one of the largest flowering plants in the world, is in the process of blooming at the zoo. Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 27 July 2022 The corpse flower, or titan arum, is expected to bloom in about 10 days, the zoo said. Shepard Price, San Antonio Express-News, 8 July 2022 Scientists at the historic greenhouse in Golden Gate Park said Wednesday its 5-foot-tall titan arum, commonly known as a corpse flower, is days away from blooming. Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'titan arum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of titan arum was in 1889

Dictionary Entries Near titan arum

Cite this Entry

“Titan arum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/titan%20arum. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

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