Perry Flowering Status Update Posted on July 19th, 2010 by

I took a look at Perry at about 4:25 this afternoon, and the spathe shows no sign of unfurling (flapping back of the edge along the seam), even though the parts of the edge at the top seem to have flared out a bit more.  At about 8:15 this morning, Perry had a distinct barnyardish odor, which had dissipated by midday.  Practice for the upcoming prodigious plume?

Falling away of the cataphylls (leafy bracts at the base of the inflorescence) signals that the inflorescence will probably open within a couple of days.  The interiors of the cataphylls are white, so the change will be highly obvious via webcam.

I’ll move the still webcam to Perry’s other side tomorrow so that the seam can be seen.  Flapping back of the upper part of the spathe along the seam = Showtime! Opening will most likely begin later in the afternoon.  At that point, you might as well leave the webcam feed up on your monitor for the next 12-18 hours.  We will have the lights on in the greenhouse for the entire night so that the opening can be followed.

 


15 Comments

  1. Move the Camera!! We won’t be able to see the top anymore
    Thanks much,
    This is awesome!

  2. Brian O'Brien says:

    Perry has once again outgrown the camera view (just since this morning). We’ll get it readjusted soon. Thanks much for your comment on Perry’s awesomeness! :)

  3. Anthony Cesnik says:

    Do you have a general idea of when the fragrance will peak?

    • Brian O'Brien says:

      Hi, Anthony. If I recall correctly, one of the strongest periods was early on the morning of flowering. The intensity seemed to vary through the day, almost as though pulsing.

  4. Michele says:

    Who said everythings bigger in Texas? Our corpse flower is bigger then the one in Houston!

  5. Beth says:

    This is so cool. Love to be there in person. Thanks for the updates

    • Brian O'Brien says:

      Thanks for the comment, and it’s too bad that you can’t visit this time. We’re hoping for a repeat in about three years, though…

      • Brian O'Brien says:

        I believe that there will be a table for selling T-shirts. Whatever route is finally decided will be posted on the website eventually.

  6. Diane says:

    Brian,
    On the web cam I saw you in a great corpse flower t-shirt. How can I get one?

    • Brian O'Brien says:

      I believe that there will be a table for selling T-shirts. Whatever route is finally decided will be posted on the website eventually.

  7. Vivian says:

    My son and I came to see Perry yesterday. Perry is spectacular! Thank you so much for letting us inside Perry’s room. We appreciate your hospitality.

    • Brian O'Brien says:

      Thanks for the compliments, and I hope that you and your son will be able to visit again!