Rare 'Corpse Flower' blooms at EIU

There's been a big stink on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, but people were lining up to take a look and grab a whiff.

The weekend smell was coming from something called a Titan Arum flower at EIU's Thut Greenhouse.

It's one of the largest blossoms in the world and it's better known as the Corpse Flower because of the foul, rotting-meat odor it emits to attract insects.

More Coverage Links EIU Dept. of Biological Sciences

Greenhouse manager Steven Malehorn says the Corpse Flower began blooming Saturday and peaked Sunday. The greenhouse remained open both days so people could view the oddity.

Malehorn says the plant takes from five to seven years to come into bloom and its fetid flower usually lasts about 30 hours.