THE dead horse arum is a curious flower. On a gram-by-gram basis, the male parts produce more heat than any known species. More even than the flight muscles of a hummingbird. The heat helps dissipate the flower’s smell, which is said to resemble – you guessed it – a dead horse.
Hot or “thermogenic” flowers are those that, like us, can make their own body heat. If you find that hard to believe, try feeling a Philodendron bipinnatifidum, a garden plant from the Brazilian rainforest, the flowers of which are warm to the touch.
How hot do they get? The temperature increase…
