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    ‘The semblance of empowerment’: a discussion on anti-racism

    ‘The semblance of empowerment’: a discussion on anti-racism

    UM junior Madeleine Dotson selected as Truman Scholar Finalist

    UM junior Madeleine Dotson selected as Truman Scholar Finalist

    The only sober ones in the room: Oxford bartenders serve as a safety net

    ASB works with Oxford police to implement angel shot initiative

    You be the judge: an inside look at ASB

    You be the judge: an inside look at ASB

    ASB Update: Three resolutions and two bills passed

    ASB Update: Three resolutions and two bills passed

    Annual RebelTHON raises $211,530.23 for children’s hospitals

    Annual RebelTHON raises $211,530.23 for children’s hospitals

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    Ole Miss stuns No. 1-seeded Stanford 54-49 to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2007

    Ole Miss stuns No. 1-seeded Stanford 54-49 to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2007

    Lady Rebels dominate Gonzaga in first round of NCAA Tournament

    Rebels end their win streak, fall to Jacksonville State 10-6

    Rebels end their win streak, fall to Jacksonville State 10-6

    Rebels complete their third non-conference sweep of the season by taking down Purdue

    Rebels complete their third non-conference sweep of the season by taking down Purdue

    Ole Miss officially names Chris Beard its new men’s basketball head coach

    Ole Miss officially names Chris Beard its new men’s basketball head coach

    Ole Miss’ fast pace and shot-making were not enough to beat the short-handed Tennessee Volunteers

    Ole Miss’ fast pace and shot-making were not enough to beat the short-handed Tennessee Volunteers

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    Oxford celebrates Holi in an explosion of color

    Oxford celebrates Holi in an explosion of color

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    20 years of the Gertrude C. Ford Center: Stories of the Present

    20 years of the Gertrude C. Ford Center: Stories of the Present

    Critic turned documentarian Elvis Mitchell discusses ‘Is That Black Enough for You?!?’

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    Ambition rooted in opportunity

    Angel shot initiative: a god-send or misfire?

    Angel shot initiative: a god-send or misfire?

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    Is monogamy realistic?

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    Moving from a dorm to an apartment? Make sure you have these 5 essentials

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    ‘The semblance of empowerment’: a discussion on anti-racism

    ‘The semblance of empowerment’: a discussion on anti-racism

    UM junior Madeleine Dotson selected as Truman Scholar Finalist

    UM junior Madeleine Dotson selected as Truman Scholar Finalist

    The only sober ones in the room: Oxford bartenders serve as a safety net

    ASB works with Oxford police to implement angel shot initiative

    You be the judge: an inside look at ASB

    You be the judge: an inside look at ASB

    ASB Update: Three resolutions and two bills passed

    ASB Update: Three resolutions and two bills passed

    Annual RebelTHON raises $211,530.23 for children’s hospitals

    Annual RebelTHON raises $211,530.23 for children’s hospitals

  • Sports
    Ole Miss stuns No. 1-seeded Stanford 54-49 to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2007

    Ole Miss stuns No. 1-seeded Stanford 54-49 to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2007

    Lady Rebels dominate Gonzaga in first round of NCAA Tournament

    Rebels end their win streak, fall to Jacksonville State 10-6

    Rebels end their win streak, fall to Jacksonville State 10-6

    Rebels complete their third non-conference sweep of the season by taking down Purdue

    Rebels complete their third non-conference sweep of the season by taking down Purdue

    Ole Miss officially names Chris Beard its new men’s basketball head coach

    Ole Miss officially names Chris Beard its new men’s basketball head coach

    Ole Miss’ fast pace and shot-making were not enough to beat the short-handed Tennessee Volunteers

    Ole Miss’ fast pace and shot-making were not enough to beat the short-handed Tennessee Volunteers

  • Arts & Culture
    Oxford celebrates Holi in an explosion of color

    Oxford celebrates Holi in an explosion of color

    Michael B. Jordan comes out swinging with latest Creed installment

    20 years of the Gertrude C. Ford Center: Stories of the Present

    20 years of the Gertrude C. Ford Center: Stories of the Present

    Critic turned documentarian Elvis Mitchell discusses ‘Is That Black Enough for You?!?’

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    My Blackness isn’t on a schedule

    Ambition rooted in opportunity

    Angel shot initiative: a god-send or misfire?

    Angel shot initiative: a god-send or misfire?

    Is monogamy realistic?

    Is monogamy realistic?

    Moving from a dorm to an apartment? Make sure you have these 5 essentials

    Moving from a dorm to an apartment? Make sure you have these 5 essentials

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Ole Miss’ third corpse flower blooms on campus

Jake ThrasherbyJake Thrasher
June 17, 2018
Reading Time: 2 mins read

Over the weekend, a smell most accurately described as rotting flesh seeped into the atrium of the Thad Cochran Research Center. The smell came from a six-foot-tall plant that bloomed Saturday morning.

The Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum), known as the corpse flower due its unique scent, is one of the largest unbranched flowering plants in the world. This plant only blooms once every 7-10 years, and while bloomed, it produces a foul odor in order to attract pollinators. Native to Sumatra and Indonesia, some of these plants can grow up to ten feet tall.

The Thad Cochran Research Center displays their blooming corpse flower. The Titan arum blooms only once every 7-10 years and smells like a rotting corpse. Photo by Christian Johnson

The size and smell of the corpse flower attracted many people to the Thad Cochran Research center over the weekend, where they were able to learn about the plant from research botanist Lal Jayaratna.

“I think the Oxford people are very lucky to see this flower because this is the only place around where they can see it,” Jayaratna said.

The Maynard W. Quimby Medicinal Plant Garden started growing corpse flowers from seeds about a decade ago.

“At the Quimby garden, we do have a collection of medicinal plants from different parts of the world and we are part of a seed exchange program,” said Ikhlas Khan, director of the National Center for Natural Product Research.

The first corpse plant bloomed in the Quimby garden in May 2014, followed closely by a second one blooming that June. This corpse flower is only the third one to bloom on campus.

The Thad Cochran Research Center displays their blooming corpse flower. The Titan arum blooms only once every 7-10 years and smells like a rotting corpse. Photo by Christian Johnson

Jayaratna said he tried to fertilize the titan arum that bloomed in June with pollen from the one that bloomed in May, but the fertilization was unsuccessful. Jayaratna plans to try to self-pollinate the titan arum that bloomed over the weekend.

“The flower blooms to get pollen from another plant, so it has a special mechanism to avoid self-pollination,” he said.

He said the corpse flower is not one big flower, but a plant that has a cluster of small flowers at the base of the cone-shaped torch of the plant. In order to avoid self-pollination, the titan arum has a ring of male and female flowers. These bands of flowers mature at different times so that the pollen from the male flowers do not usually fertilize the female flowers.

Jayaranta said he hopes to to get around this protection mechanism to have the first successful fertilization of an Amorphophallus titanum in Oxford.

The Thad Cochran Research Center displays their blooming corpse flower. The Titan arum blooms only once every 7-10 years and smells like a rotting corpse. Photo by Christian Johnson

In Case You Missed It

Ole Miss stuns No. 1-seeded Stanford 54-49 to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2007

Ole Miss stuns No. 1-seeded Stanford 54-49 to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2007

7 hours ago

Lady Rebels dominate Gonzaga in first round of NCAA Tournament

1 day ago
Rebels end their win streak, fall to Jacksonville State 10-6

Rebels end their win streak, fall to Jacksonville State 10-6

6 days ago
‘The semblance of empowerment’: a discussion on anti-racism

‘The semblance of empowerment’: a discussion on anti-racism

1 week ago
Rebels complete their third non-conference sweep of the season by taking down Purdue

Rebels complete their third non-conference sweep of the season by taking down Purdue

1 week ago
Ole Miss officially names Chris Beard its new men’s basketball head coach

Ole Miss officially names Chris Beard its new men’s basketball head coach

1 week ago

Ole Miss’ third corpse flower blooms on campus

Jake ThrasherbyJake Thrasher
June 17, 2018
Reading Time: 2 mins read

Over the weekend, a smell most accurately described as rotting flesh seeped into the atrium of the Thad Cochran Research Center. The smell came from a six-foot-tall plant that bloomed Saturday morning.

The Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum), known as the corpse flower due its unique scent, is one of the largest unbranched flowering plants in the world. This plant only blooms once every 7-10 years, and while bloomed, it produces a foul odor in order to attract pollinators. Native to Sumatra and Indonesia, some of these plants can grow up to ten feet tall.

The Thad Cochran Research Center displays their blooming corpse flower. The Titan arum blooms only once every 7-10 years and smells like a rotting corpse. Photo by Christian Johnson

The size and smell of the corpse flower attracted many people to the Thad Cochran Research center over the weekend, where they were able to learn about the plant from research botanist Lal Jayaratna.

“I think the Oxford people are very lucky to see this flower because this is the only place around where they can see it,” Jayaratna said.

The Maynard W. Quimby Medicinal Plant Garden started growing corpse flowers from seeds about a decade ago.

“At the Quimby garden, we do have a collection of medicinal plants from different parts of the world and we are part of a seed exchange program,” said Ikhlas Khan, director of the National Center for Natural Product Research.

The first corpse plant bloomed in the Quimby garden in May 2014, followed closely by a second one blooming that June. This corpse flower is only the third one to bloom on campus.

The Thad Cochran Research Center displays their blooming corpse flower. The Titan arum blooms only once every 7-10 years and smells like a rotting corpse. Photo by Christian Johnson

Jayaratna said he tried to fertilize the titan arum that bloomed in June with pollen from the one that bloomed in May, but the fertilization was unsuccessful. Jayaratna plans to try to self-pollinate the titan arum that bloomed over the weekend.

“The flower blooms to get pollen from another plant, so it has a special mechanism to avoid self-pollination,” he said.

He said the corpse flower is not one big flower, but a plant that has a cluster of small flowers at the base of the cone-shaped torch of the plant. In order to avoid self-pollination, the titan arum has a ring of male and female flowers. These bands of flowers mature at different times so that the pollen from the male flowers do not usually fertilize the female flowers.

Jayaranta said he hopes to to get around this protection mechanism to have the first successful fertilization of an Amorphophallus titanum in Oxford.

The Thad Cochran Research Center displays their blooming corpse flower. The Titan arum blooms only once every 7-10 years and smells like a rotting corpse. Photo by Christian Johnson

In Case You Missed It

Ole Miss stuns No. 1-seeded Stanford 54-49 to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2007

Ole Miss stuns No. 1-seeded Stanford 54-49 to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2007

7 hours ago

Lady Rebels dominate Gonzaga in first round of NCAA Tournament

1 day ago
Rebels end their win streak, fall to Jacksonville State 10-6

Rebels end their win streak, fall to Jacksonville State 10-6

6 days ago
‘The semblance of empowerment’: a discussion on anti-racism

‘The semblance of empowerment’: a discussion on anti-racism

1 week ago
Rebels complete their third non-conference sweep of the season by taking down Purdue

Rebels complete their third non-conference sweep of the season by taking down Purdue

1 week ago
Ole Miss officially names Chris Beard its new men’s basketball head coach

Ole Miss officially names Chris Beard its new men’s basketball head coach

1 week ago

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