The rare plant is an endangered species due to habitat loss (Image: Royal Botanic Gardens)
A rare and endangered that has the distinct odour of old socks has bloomed for the first time publicly in the UK – for 48 hours only. The pseudohydrosme gabunensis flowered in the Princess of Wales Conservatory at on Thursday, marking an exciting moment for bearing witness to the progress of the elusive bud.
However, they will have to contend with unpleasant odours from the short-lived plant, which has an unmistakeable and unique smell of “old socks”. The species, which can grow to around half a metre, also has an unusual appearance, resembling the horn of a gramophone. “When it reaches maturity, it starts to produce an odour, a distinct aroma,” Tom Pickering, head of glasshouses at Kew Gardens, told . “It smells like old socks [or] of something decaying.”
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Kew Gardens carries out vital conservation effort for endangered plants from around the world (Image: Getty)
While it may sound unpleasant, the smell plays a crucial role in helping the plant to survive in the wild – with its dark red interior also helping to attract pollinators in its native climate of central African forestland.
A short lifespan – averaging betweeen 24 and 48 hours – also necessitates a ramping up of “volatile compounds” or scent release, making the pseudohydrosme gabunensis a fascinating field of study for more reasons than one.
Mr Pickering’s colleagues at the Royal Botanical Gardens have been keenly waiting for the first flowers to emerge for months after initially pollinating the plant three years ago, when it was deemed too fragile to put on public display.
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He said: “When we saw the bud, we were very, very excited. It’s a really unusual occurrence and it’s quite spectacular.
“There are only a few botanic gardens that grow it around the world and it has never been on display in the UK before, as far as we are aware.”
The tuber is classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list, due to habitat threats from development, agriculture, mining and resource harvesting.
“Every bloom is a rare and important moment for conservation,” a spokesperson for Kew Gardens said.