Last June, during the final weeks of school, some local classrooms made field trips to a nearby zoo and horticultural center to see a particular flower. The students were puzzled: Why take a field trip to see a single flower? Needless to say, the kids were not chuffed. The teachers explained that they were to witness a rare event: the flowering of Amorphophallus titanium, which occurs once every 15 years, and lasts for only two days. The bloom stands about five feet tall, and is more commonly known as the “corpse flower.” Beyond that information, the teachers wouldn't say anything more.
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