The Show Is Over

Last night, Titan #3 collapsed.  Upon seeing that from home, I came in and pulled the plug on the live feed.  I do not have a clue as to why Titan #3 collapsed.  I speculate that some cool night temperatures may have effected it some.  (I do not think it was the total cause.)  The greenhouse was without steam (used for heating) for several weeks and there were several nights that it did get into the fortys.  Tropical plants generally do not like low temperatures and some get very finicky with anything below 50°F.  At this point, I am hoping the tuber survives and sprouts a leaf later this summer.

Below is a picture from last night of the male and female flowers of Titan #3.  The male flowers may still yield pollen that I can collect and store.

Houston We Have A Problem

Still do not know why Titan #3 is doing what it is doing, but it does not look good.  If you compare today's pictures with yesterday's, you can tell that it definitely has a problem and appears to be going down hill.  I have my doubts that it will even open now.   

Two Others

Currently, there are two other Titan Arums that will bloom within weeks if not days of each.  One is Big Bucky at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  As you may recall from earlier posts, Big Bucky was the ovule donor for the WIU Titans.  The other Titan is located at The Ohio State University.  Each have a live internet feed.

 University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Ohio State University

Don't Know...

I don't know what to make of the Titan this morning.  As the pictures show, there is a separation in the spadix.  I have not seen this before, so I do not have any idea the cause and consequently the effect it will have on the overall bloom.

What's in the Picture

Thought I would post a picture with labels of the plants that are seen in the current live feed. As with all of the pictures on this blog, clicking on them will bring up a full size image.

Live Video Feed Is Up

The live video feed of WIU Titan #3 is up!   It can be found on Ustream.  Thanks again to those at U-Tech that set it up. 

Here We Go Again!

Almost two years after it initially bloomed, WIU Titan #3, is in the process of doing it again.  To refresh your memory about the first time it bloomed, you can go back to here and here.  It measured to be 18 1/4 inches tall this morning.   I do not anticipate it to get as big as it did in 2010 (6' 7" tall overall and the spath was 44" across).  Now, the question is when will it open?  I am predicting ten days to two weeks but it is just a guesstimate at this point.  Seems like a good office pool contest though!

Here are some previous posts that will provide some background:
  Titan Arum At WIU And In General
  A Little WIU Botany Greenhouse History

Cacao Fruit Development Video

Cacao!

One of the Botany Greenhouse's cacao trees ( Theobroma cacao ) finally produced a fruit.  After watching it develop since last fall, I harvested and sliced it open to collect the seeds.  The seeds have been placed in containers so hopefully, some will germinate.