A giant, stinky flower is attracting a nosy crowd to San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers this holiday weekend.
The titan arum, more commonly known as the ``corpse flower,'' is set to bloom for the first time in two years.
The plant celebrity is world-famous for the big stink it makes when it opens for three or four days every few years. The flower is known both for its scent, which has been compared to dirty gym socks or rotting meat, and its size.
The Huntington Library near my home has one of these things, and I understand the attraction. But this makes no sense
``Even closed, this truly is just exquisite,'' said Tricia Hall of Kentfield, who traveled to the conservatory with her husband, Tom, to see the titan arum.
"Exquisite" and "dirty gym socks or rotting meat" just do not belong in the same area of thought.
# posted by John Schroeder @ 6/01/2005 05:35:00 AM
