A new study on titan arum -- commonly known as the corpse flower for its smell like rotting flesh -- uncovers fundamental genetic pathways and biological mechanisms that produce heat and odorous chemicals when the plant blooms.

Eric Schaller, professor of biological sciences, also identifies a new component of the corpse flower's odor—an organic chemical called putrescine. Schaller, a molecular biologist who studies how plant hormones regulate their ability to grow and respond ...

The unusual odor of the titan arum, commonly called the corpse flower because its scent is reminiscent of rotting flesh, draws crowds of curious