#sciencejournalism
https://gizmodo.com/this-flower-smells-like-a-rotting-corpse-and-now-scientists-know-how-2000524308
Scientists apparently discover "for the first time" that corpse flowers give off putrescine?
I'm confused. I thought it was well understood that they gave of putrescine.
You can smell it.
@AskTheDevil The smell of putrifaction is a combination of various compounds like cadaverine, putrescine, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methane, various thiols (sulfur-containing compounds), and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which overall give it the unforgettable stench. These compounds are primarily the result of protein (meat) bacterial degradation. The rotting of plant matter smells different. You ever smell root rot?
@AskTheDevil ..and from an evolution standpoint...how and why did a plant evolve to produce chemicals that mimic rotting flesh to attract flies, beetles as opposed to produce nectar to attract bees, bats....Would it be because flies and beetles are more abundant and greater chance for pollinating flower?
@Victor Or because it's less competition. Creatures don't plan out their evolution in advance typically. They just happened to hit on a chemical signal that attracted that kind of pollinator instead of another.
They had zillions of years to do this.
@AskTheDevil I've a few Stapelia succulents in the backyard that also produce the rotting flesh smell. Flowers are small in comparison and you have to get close to inhale aroma. #nature #photography #flowers
@Victor I am blessed and cursed with a great sense of smell. I could have been a perfume tester, if I took leave of my sensibilities.
One of my parlor tricks used to be that people could hand me anything that had been handled or worn, a handkerchief, ring of keys, whatever, and I could smell it and hand it to the person it belonged to.
Downside: The world is covered in foot stank and urine.
@AskTheDevil Have you lost any sense of smell as you grow older or have you had COVID and temporarily lost your ability to smell? These last few weeks I could not taste or smell anything and I have not had any sign of illness, i.e., cold or COVID.
@Victor It impacted me briefly, but not even as much as, say a sinus infection or bad allergies. I had a very mild case with almost no symptoms, though. Within a week, my sense of smell was back to normal.
@Victor I have smelled, I think, more kinds of rot than anyone else living.
More to the point, I've been to the blooming of a Krubi flower (I still call them that), a dozen times, and they smell like a freezer full of roast beef that went bad. They smell like rotten meat.
The flies agree.
The same smell (in smaller amounts) comes out of roses.