THE
THE HISTORIC LAUNCHPAD WHERE THE MISSION STARTED.
THAT IS YOUR MORNING RUSH.
>>> THIS IS ONE OF THE COOLEST
PIECES OF VIDEO WE ARE SHARING
ALL MORNING LONG.
RARE FILE FLOWERS STARTING TO
BLOOM.
BLOOM.
BLOOM. THIS IS THE CORPSE FLOWER.
THE UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS SAY
THAT IT STARTED BLOOMING 8:00
LAST NIGHT.
LAST NIGHT. THE CORPSE FLOWER'S ARE
EXTREMELY RARE.
EXTREMELY RARE. THE USUALLY TAKE ABOUT 24 TO 48
HOURS TO BLOOM.
IT IS A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. >>
TIME. >> THE FLOWERS ON DISPLAY.
YOU CAN SEE IT ANYTIME BETWEEN
8:00 THIS MORNING AND 9:00
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. CHRISTINE PITAWANICH JUST THERE
THIS MORNING FOR US.
CHRISTINE, YOU HAVE BEEN
TELLING US THAT THE CORPSE
FLOWER REALLY LIVES UP TO ITS
NAME.
NAME.
NAME. >>
NAME. >> Reporter: IT DOES.
THE THING IS, IT IS HARD,
BECAUSE EVERYONE SAYS, IT
SMELLS LIKE A ROTTING ANIMAL.
I PERSONALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT
THAT SMELLS LIKE, BUT I WILL
SAY THAT IT HAS A STRONG ODOR.
IF THERE IS A BREEZE AT ALL,
YOU DEFINITELY SMELL IT.
IT IS ONE OF THE RAREST
FLOWERING PLANTS IN THE WORLD.
IT IS ONE OF THE RAREST AND
LARGEST.
LARGEST.
LARGEST. DAVIS PANNING UP ON I DON'T
KNOW IF YOU CAN TELL, BUT IT IS
MORE THAN FOUR FEET TALL.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, IT
TRANSPORTS YOU BACK.
YOU ALMOST FEEL LIKE YOU ARE
BACK IN THE DINOSAUR AGE OR
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. IT IS AN AMAZING LOOK. THIS
THING IS NATIVE TO THE RAIN
FOREST OF INDONESIA.
HERE JOINING ME NOW IS STEVE
SILVESTER, HE IS A PROFESSOR
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. HE
HERE. HE HAS BEEN THE CARETAKER.
AND HAS TAKEN A LONG TIME.
THE FLOWER IN BLOOM USUALLY
AFTER 7 TO 10 YEARS OF GROWTH,
BUT YOU HAD TO WAIT 17 YEARS
FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.
IT WAS A DELAY.
>> I HAD SOME HELP, BECAUSE THE
WAY THAT THE PLANT GROSSES THAT
IT PUTS A BELIEVES.
THE FIRST LEAF WAS ONLY ONE
FOOT TALL AND THEN IT DIED.
THEN A BUD CAME UP AND ANOTHER
LEAF CAME UP.
THEY STARTED COMING UP AND THEN
DYING.
DYING.
DYING. IT
DYING. IT GOT TOO BIG FOR MY OFFICE,
SO MOVED IT TO THE LAB.
SO THAT I MOVED OUT TO THE HALL
AND WHAT WAS OUT IN THE HALL,
SOMEBODY THOUGHT THE LEAF WAS
DYING AND HE MUST NOT BE
WATERING IT AND THEN THE OVER
WATERED IT AND IT EXPLODED.
SO, I HAD A 10 FOOT LEAF AT
THAT POINT. AFTER IT EXPLODED,
FOUR LEAVES CAME UP, BUT THE
BIGGEST ONE WAS ONLY FIVE OR
SIX FEET TALL.
IT RESET THE CLOCK.
I HAVE FOUR PLANS IN THE POT
AND THIS IS THE FIRST ONE THAT
HAS DECIDED TO BLOOM.
>> THAT IS SO COOL.
AFTER 17 YEARS, HOW DID YOU
FIND OUT?
FIND OUT?
FIND OUT? HOW TO MAKE YOU FEEL?
>> I WAS MOWING THE LAWN AND MY
WIFE CAME OUT AND FLAGGED ME
DOWN AND GAVE THE SIGNAL TO CUT
IT OFF AND I SHUT IT DOWN SHE
SAID, YOUR PHONE HAS BEEN
WORKING LIKE CRAZY.
I LOOKED AT IT AND THERE WAS A
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. IT WAS BLOOMING.
I THOUGHT OH MY GOSH.
MY WIFE TOOK OFF.
SHE RAN IN THE HOUSE AND GOT
DRESSED TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT
NICER AND CAME DOWN.
I WENT IN TO TAKE A SHOWER GOT
DRESSED AND CAME LATER.
>>> YOU HAVE A LONG DAY AHEAD
OF YOU.
OF YOU.
OF YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING
US.
US.
US. STEVE
US. STEVE WAS TELLING ME A LITTLE
EARLIER THAT IT IS EMITTING
SUCH A STRONG SMELL BECAUSE IT
IS TRYING TO -- OH NO THAT
KNOCKED OUT HER MICROPHONE.
>> CHRISTINE, WE WANT YOU TO
GIVE IT A BIG WITH.
WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
>> COME ON.
>> Reporter: IT IS SUPPOSED TO
ATTRACT DUNG BEETLES AND CORPSE
LIES, SO I DUNNO.
>> Reporter: PRETENDER ONE OF
THOSE.
THOSE.
THOSE. >>
THOSE. >> IT IS NOT TERRIBLE, BUT IT
IS NOT GREAT.
IF YOU WANT TO COME DOWN AND DO
IT, I JUST DID, JUST GET A
WHIFF OF IT.
YOU CAN COME HERE 8 AM UNTIL 9
PM TO THE THANK YOU FOR CAMPUS.
IF YOU JUST WANT A SMALL, YOU
CAN LOOK AT IT.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE WILL LIVE
STREAM ONLINE.
STREAM ONLINE. YOU CAN COME TO OUR WEBSITE
KGW.COM.
KGW.COM.
KGW.COM. THANKS, GUYS.
THANKS, GUYS. THANKS FOR MAKING ME SMELL IT.
>> NO WORRIES.
>> THE SCRUNCHED UP NOSE IS MY
FAVORITE.
FAVORITE.
FAVORITE. >> WILL THIS TENSION STAY ON
HER JACKET?
HER JACKET? MAYBE WHEN