Very unusual interesting plant starting to flower

This has been in the process of opening for a number of days now, and still going. Rate of increase in height has been 15 cms per day the last few days. Current height mid afternoon today is 201 cms from soil level to tip top. That's an increase of 8 cms since 8:00 am today, around a cm per hour.

Anyone care to guess what it is before it fully opens? (TROPICNUT IS NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY, sorry Dave, you know the answer already.) It's to the right of the ladder in the second pic if anyone is unsure of what's being referred to.

Some kind of an aroid??

Belle

WHAT??? i cant play.. its like gradeschool all over again..LOL
i say its an unknown bird from the jurassic..that was living all this time
downunder..and was able to avoid detection because it lived in remote areas
just south of darwin..
?? am i right??? :)
cant wait for the ... to open.. very cool man!!!!

Yes Belle it's an Amorphophallus gigas and it carries all those same common names like Voodoo Lily, Stinkie, Giant Arum, etc.

Dave, it's still growing taller. Just hope it doesn't get too high up that I can't get close up photos.

i still am holding out that its an archaeopteryx, or some
pterosaur.. :)
as i understand..gigas has the tallest petiole flower stalk of the
"tropical" amorphs..
lucky u r where u live man.. the sky is your limit.. :)
im looking foward to seeing the flower when all opened up!!
keep us posted man!!!!!

This morning it was 220 cms, looks like it's slowed down growth rate. But the spadix is now starting to show through the top of the spathe. And the spathe isn't as tightly wrapped now. I suspect it's all going to be happening soon.

very cool tropic!! cant wait to see flower when it opens up..
?? r u thinking of setting seed on it??
with the interest on eb of seed for sale lately.. u could pay pay for
all the fertilizer for next yr off the berries/seed.. :)

guessing the flower is pretty close to open??
cant wait to see the flower tropic!!
you really should pollinate it..let set berries/seed..

hows the gigas flower doing my man from down under????
did you ever save any pollen back..or try selfing it?
theres a guy in cairns i think doing some crosses with the big "tropical'
amorphs.. i have one of his decus-salvae X impressus.. its just a seedling..
its 35 cm tall.. doing well..hopefully i can get it to put on some tuber size this
year!! :)
congrats on your flower man !!!!!

What happened??? I am waiting for the flower

Belle

tropics gigas did flower..some impressive pics on gardenweb..
:)