Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Amorphophallus titanum blooming - Live webcam, 1 by ExoticRainforest

ExoticRainforest wrote:
I saw Zach appear to be checking the thermogenic heat this morning and would like to know if that was in fact what he was doing. The exposed spadix should be very warm right now and the temp will rise and fall as the waves of pheromone ("perfume") are released. For those not familiar with the terms I use, when an aroid reaches anthesis (sexual maturity) there is a reaction of Salicylic acid (same chemical in aspirin) inside the spadix that causes a significant heat rise. In some plants it can go close to 50 degrees F above the ambient (surrounding) temperature.

I would also like to know if the restriction at the top of the spathe is open enough to see the sterile male flowers inside. Nancy said it was very dark inside the female floral chamber.

No, not up all night but I was up every two hours or so. I just have a very curious brain and it won't flip off easily when I'm into trying to understand something.

I explained infrared photography to Nancy briefly but it would be great if an infrared photo could be produced with a human body near the plant. Since the skin temp of a human is known that would give us an estimate of the temp on the various parts of the spadix and lower spathe.

If it were possible to produce a chart like this one that would help science to understand this species better.

Steve