Exhibition "In the Forests of Borneo"
Titan arum
Introduction | Timeline | Titan arum (you're here)
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> Amorphophallus titanum (Becc.) Becc.
Inflorescence of the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum). Original drawing by Odoardo Beccari. Science Library of the University of Florence (University Library System).
During a later expedition to Southeast Asia, Beccari made one of his most sensational discoveries. In the summer of 1878, during his final days of travel in Sumatra, he discovered a new species belonging to the Araceae family—the same family as the common arums, calla lilies, and Anthuriums—which immediately struck him as exceptional for its size: the Titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum).
Often mistakenly referred to as “the largest flower in the world,” this plant actually boasts one of the largest inflorescences ever recorded, making it a true botanical rarity—or, in Beccari’s own words, “a marvelous plant”.
The world record for the largest flower, instead, belongs to species of the genus Rafflesia, some of which grow in the same habitats and regions as the Titan arum.