carry on flowers ...

a typical flower may be stereotyped as a colorful, sweet-smelling structure that attracts insects.

a variety of insects find the showy petals and fragrance irresistible, and the reward for their pollination service is a carbohydrate-rich, sugary nectar secretion from the flower. while the above scenario fits the majority of flowering plants, there are many notable exceptions to the typical flower stereotype, some of the most remarkable are known as "carrion flowers", showy blossoms with the stench of rotting flesh.

unlike the fragrant blossoms that attract bees, butterflies and moths, carrion flowers simulate the odor of a rotting carcass and attract a variety of flies and insects. not only do these flowers smell like a dead animal, but their petals are typically flesh-colored. amorphophallus is a member of the aroid family (araceae), the same family as familiar plants such as philodendron.

carrion flowers are masters in the art of deception because they lure these insects into their blossoms. the flowers get pollinated but the fate of the insects is much more dismal, maggots hatching from eggs laid by them will perish from lack of any suitable food.

it is interesting to speculate about how different species of plants/animals perceive odors, adaptability, evolutionary path and why certain putrid odors are repugnant to us but are irresistible to some. whether a particular odor is perceived as "bad" or "good" is in the nose of the beholder !