Corpse Flower Blooms at Binghamton University

Only a few people got to see the full bloom of a rare but stinky plant at Binghamton University since the specimen decided to take its time and fully open at night.

The so-called corpse flower began to open at around 6 p.m. on August 30, 2015 and was fully open at around 10 p.m.

Students and faculty could be seen on live-stream at 1:30 the next  morning taking pollen from the plant to cross-pollinate another Amorphophallus titanium named "Scarlett."

The plant in Vestal will be past its bloom this morning.

Greenhouse manager Laurie Bell says the flower normally blossoms every five to thirty years, but the one at Binghamton University seems very happy.  It is still growing as it bloomed in 2010 and again in 2013.

As of 7 p.m. on August 30, the plant stood at 7.25 feet tall. The plants can reach a height of 10 feet.

The female portion of the flower gives off a smell like decomposing flesh or a kitchen garbage full of onion peels.

The smell attracts flies, which take care of pollination.

Bell says the flowers are native to Sumatra and typically grow to a height of over seven feet tall.

The Binghamton corpse flower, named "Metis" in honor of the goddess of learning and teaching, has gotten so large that its corm has tipped the scale at close to one hundred pounds.  Soon it will have to be moved off of a planting table to prevent the table from breaking.

A live stream camera is set up in the greenhouse and can be accessed by going to  http://bit.ly/1EQIFvF.