For Subscribers

'Catfished' by the smell of rotting flesh

With Halloween around the corner, The Straits Times explores some creepy science, from corpse plants to useful creepy crawlies. | Insects lured by promise of place to lay eggs provide plants free pollination services

A parasitic Rafflesia cantleyi flower on Tioman Island in Malaysia. PHOTO: CHUA SEK CHUAN Bulbophyllum medusae, an orchid named after the Greek monster Medusa, is one of a number of plants that smell of decay that can be found in Singapore. — Bulbophyllum medusae, an orchid named after the Greek monster Medusa, is one of a number of plants that smell of decay that can be found in Singapore. PHOTO: NPARKS

The native voodoo lily emits a putrid odour from late afternoon to attract potential pollinators. PHOTO: NPARKS

Audrey Tan

Science and Environment Correspondent

Updated

Published

Oct 24, 2020, 05:00 AM

Being "catfished" by fake profiles is common not just on the Internet, but in nature, too.

Culprits include "corpse plants", which smell of rotting flesh and reek of deceit. The scent of putrefied flesh emitted by the flowers of plants like the Rafflesia and the titan arum is "false advertisement", said Nanyang Technological University (NTU) botanist Shawn Lum.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

ST One Digital

$9.90 $9.90/month

No contract

ST app access on 1 mobile device

Subscribe now

Unlock these benefits

All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.