Weird Plant of the Month: Chestnut Vine and the Stinking Corpse Lily

Описание: We are back for another trip into the Tyler School of Art and Architecture Greenhouse Education and Research Complex at Temple Ambler for a look at some of our weird plants! Join Greenhouse Complex Manager Benjamin Snyder for our Weird Plant of the Month!

For July, we are exploring Chestnut Vine (Tetrastigma voinierianum) and the Stinking Corpse Lily (Rafflesia arnoldii) — yes, we could do a whole series on stinky plants alone!

Here are some fun facts about these strange plants:

• The Chestnut Vine is native to Vietnam and grows as a climbing vine using tendrils to attach to its support, similar to grapes (which are in the same family, Vitaceae). This is also the same family as our native Virginia Creeper, which has similar looking foliage.
• Small “pearl bodies” are found on the undersides of the leaves and on young stems. These are used by visiting ant species and can help protect the plant from predators.
• Chestnut Vine can be grown as a houseplant and tolerates low light levels. When grown indoors, it rarely flowers. Luckily, the flowers are relatively insignificant, being small and green in color, so you’re not missing much.
• Chestnut Vine is the host plant for the world’s largest single flower, Rafflesia arnoldii,or the Stinking Corpse Lily.
• The Rafflesia is a holoparasite on the genus Tetrastigma and does not produce any observable leaves, stems or roots and does not produce chlorophyll.
• The Rafflesia flower is around three inches in diameter, reddish-brown in color and has an odor of rotting meat to attract its pollinators.
• The Rafflesia is endangered due to habitat loss as well as poaching (flower buds are sold for medicinal use).

Learn more about the Ambler Arboretum at https://arboretum.temple.edu. Learn more about the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at https://tyler.temple.edu/.

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